Thread: Green Card Applicants File Lawsuit Over State Dept. Glitch

Green Card Applicants File Lawsuit Over State Department Glitch

Updated: Tuesday, 21 Jun 2011, 7:23 AM CDT
Published : Tuesday, 21 Jun 2011, 7:19 AM CDT

(The Wall Street Journal) - A lawsuit has been filed against the US State Department in federal court seeking to reinstate thousands of potential green-card winners whose chance of obtaining US residency was scuttled because of a government computer error, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

A record 15 million people from around the world submitted entries this year to the so-called diversity visa program lottery, which annually offers a quick path to a green card for 50,000 people selected by random draw.

Under the lottery program, visas are made available to applicants from countries with low rates of immigration to the US. Lottery winners have a chance at moving to the US without a family member or an employer as a sponsor, the most common routes to obtaining a green card.

In early May, the State Department notified 22,000 people that they were chosen. But soon after, the State Department said the electronic draw would have to be held again because a computer glitch caused 90 percent of the winners to be selected from the first two days of applications instead of the entire 30-day registration period.

Disappointed applicants, who hail from the Middle East, Africa and Europe, created a Facebook page dubbed "22,000 Tears" and began collecting signatures for letters to the State Department and US lawmakers in protest.

The lawsuit, filed Friday in US District Court in Washington, seeks class-action status and names plaintiffs from more than 20 countries.

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpps/news/g ... c_13780335

If you are not from latin america and speak spanish you have no chance!

Think I am kidding. Hispanics hold close to 50% of all current green cards!

The question is, why?

Related
US sued by 22,000 would-be immigrants: lawyers

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-241382.html