Thread: Corporate Irresponsibility: Bank of America Offers Credit Ca

http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/pu ... 1696.shtml

Corporate Irresponsibility: Bank of America Offers Credit Cards to Illegal Immigrants
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By Tom Fitton
Feb 20, 2007

Recently, Bank of America began issuing credit cards to a group of customers that the bank and everyone else acknowledges largely to be made up of illegal immigrants. Currently, the “pilot program” is operational in 51 Los Angeles, California, branches, but the bank is hoping to turn it into a nationwide bank policy in 2008. No Social Security number or proof of legal residency is required to obtain the credit card. Of course, most illegal aliens don’t have Social Security numbers. But Bank of America sees the illegal alien market as big, so they’re willing to make it easy for illegals to get credit cards.

Like other incentive programs for illegal aliens, this Bank of America program seems to be at odds with federal laws that prohibit encouraging or inducing illegals to cross the border. Moreover, as Republican Representative Tom Tancredo and Department of Homeland Security officials have pointed out, there is great potential for criminal misuse of the program by terrorists.

"At face value the program seems to be problematic," Russ Knocke, a spokesman for Homeland Security. "It seems to be lending itself to possibilities of perpetrating identity theft or creating more risk for money laundering."

Of course, we shouldn’t be surprised that Bank of America has decided to flout immigration laws and compromise national security. Not when the federal government has provided such a poor example.

As I reported to you in December, Judicial Watch uncovered a new government program – “Directo a México” (Direct to Mexico) – which is designed to facilitate the transfer of funds from immigrant workers in the U.S. – regardless of their legal status – to their relatives in Mexico. In response to a Freedom of Information Act request, Judicial Watch obtained marketing materials from the Federal Reserve prepared for presentations to banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions, like Bank of America.

Is there any wonder why corporate executives believe they can undermine immigration laws without consequence?

By the way, Wednesday, February 28th Judicial Watch is hosting an educational panel at the National Press Club from 9:30 AM – 11 AM to discuss how local communities are addressing the illegal immigration crisis. Panel members will include Hazelton, Pennsylvania, Mayor Louis Barletta, former Beaufort County, South Carolina Council Member, Starletta Hairston and Virginia Delegate Jackson H. Miller – all of whom have bravely taken on the issue of local enforcement of nation’s immigration laws. The panel is free and open to the public.

If you’d like to read more about our fight against illegal immigration and what you can do to, please go to www.judicialwatch.org

Tom Fitton is President of Judicial Watch, a nonpartisan educational foundation that fights government corruption.

Yea, there is a big market of drug dealers and cartels. Big money for any bank that will do business with them.

Dixie