More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship

www.yahoo.com...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern to national security or with high rates of immigration fraud who had pending deportation orders, according to an internal Homeland Security audit released Monday.

So by now we, in the USA, understand our immigration system is broken. We can all agree on that right?

The Homeland Security Department's inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and such discrepancies weren't caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.

You have got to be kidding me.......you mean people are not honest when they apply for citizenship for the USA?

The report does not identify any of the immigrants by name, but Inspector General John Roth's auditors said they were all from "special interest countries" — those that present a national security concern for the United States — or neighboring countries with high rates of immigration fraud. The report did not identify those countries.

So that makes this not only an immigration issue, but also a national security issue. Can we agree the governments number 1 job is to keep the USA safe?

The government has known about the information gap and its impact on naturalization decisions since at least 2008 when a Customs and Border Protection official identified 206 immigrants who used a different name or other biographical information to gain citizenship or other immigration benefits, though few cases have been investigated.

So our elected officials are promoting accepting refugees from middle east countries even though they know there has been a problem with our system since 2008? That is craziness!

Roth's report said federal prosecutors have accepted two criminal cases that led to the immigrants being stripped of their citizenship. But prosecutors declined another 26 cases. ICE is investigating 32 other cases after closing 90 investigations. ICE officials told auditors that the agency hadn't pursued many of these cases in the past because federal prosecutors "generally did not accept immigration benefits fraud cases." ICE said the Justice Department has now agreed to focus on cases involving people who have acquired security clearances, jobs of public trust or other security credentials.

Federal prosecutors "generally did not accept immigration benefits fraud cases." ?????? WHAT WHAT WHAT ?????

Why would our government not investigate this? Are cases not solved by "following the money?" This is ridiculous on multiple levels. Aside from the national security and terrorist issues, identity theft is a real problem that costs real people money every day.

At least three of the immigrants-turned-citizens were able to acquire aviation or transportation worker credentials, granting them access to secure areas in airports or maritime facilities and vessels. Their credentials were revoked after they were identified as having been granted citizenship improperly, Roth said in his report. A fourth person is now a law enforcement officer

Oh boy......It looks like it will take YEARS to sort this problem out.

Why don't we start with enforcing the laws we have?

Perfect example of how convoluted the system can be, reading that gave me a headache.

Sigh.

My tax payers dollars hard at work.

Wonder what the next Disaster and Chief will do?

Oh, wait

"Mistakenly" my a$$

Gee everyone makes mistakes, not like anyone's going to get killed over it! Ummm wait, maybe, nah Obama says there just poor oppressed women And children. They just are long distance dreamers.

you need some Dr Evil like air quotes on "mistakenly"

Are you sure it's safety, I thought the government main purpose was to make sure I feel loved and accepted

a reply to: shooterbrody

"Oops! Guess now you can vote!"

(I know they would have to register to vote, but it seemed like a fitting joke at the time )

originally posted by: SLAYER69
Perfect example of how convoluted the system can be, reading that gave me a headache.

Sigh.

My tax payers dollars hard at work.

Wonder what the next Disaster and Chief will do?

Oh, wait

I want to know what our current CIC is doing about this?

Yeah um, an accident lmao.

a reply to: shooterbrody

But it was done without "ill intent" so I'm sure it's all ok...

More Dem voters

a reply to: shooterbrody

It isn't optimal, that is for sure, but at least they are reporting it! Has anyone read the actual report that hasn't had the media spin applied?

Although fingerprints are now taken digitally and stored in IDENT, the repository is missing digitized fingerprint records of some aliens with final deportation orders, criminal convictions, or fugitive status whose fingerprints were taken on paper cards. The records are missing because when INS initially developed and deployed IDENT in 1994, it did not digitize and upload the fingerprint records it had collected on paper cards. Further, ICE investigators only began consistently uploading fingerprints taken from aliens during law enforcement encounters into the repository around 2010.

ICE has led an effort to digitize old fingerprint records that were taken on cards and upload them into IDENT. In 2011, ICE searched a DHS database for aliens who were fugitives, convicted criminals, or had final deportation orders dating back to 1990. ICE identified about 315,000 such aliens whose fingerprint records were not in IDENT. Because fingerprints are no longer taken on paper cards, this number will not grow. In 2012, DHS received $5 million from Congress to pull its paper fingerprint cards from aliens’ files and digitize and upload them into IDENT, through an ICE-led project called the Historical Fingerprint Enrollment (HFE). Through HFE, ICE began digitizing the old fingerprint cards of the 315,000 aliens with final deportation orders, criminal convictions, or fugitive status and uploading them into IDENT. The process was labor intensive, requiring staff to manually pull the fingerprint cards from aliens’ files. ICE reviewed 167,000 aliens’ files and uploaded fingerprint records into IDENT before HFE funding was depleted. Some fingerprint cards were missing or unclear and could not be digitized. Since that time, ICE has not received further funding for HFE; efforts to digitize and upload the records have been sporadic, and the process has not been completed.

The article was written like this is a fairly new occurence, but the report makes it seem like the problem children have been here since before 2010. As a federal employee when I read it it seems to me like it is coming from contractors who want more work!

In response to recommendation 1, ICE indicated that it has taken steps to procure contractor services to help review the 148,000 files and to digitize and upload to IDENT available fingerprint records. ICE anticipates awarding the contract before the end of fiscal year 2016. We will track ICE’s progress in completing this recommendation.

Seems to me that it should be an inherently governmental function (meaning contractors shouldn't be doing it) because saying, "oh, that was a contractor's fault" should not be an excuse for a government agency. What if one of the 858 slipped through the cracks further and became a contractor on the contract to input fingerprints?

My argument would be that a contractor can't do it anyway...FAR 7.503(c)(14):

The conduct of administrative hearings to determine the eligibility of any person for a security clearance, or involving actions that affect matters of personal reputation or eligibility to participate in Government programs.

ICE transferred two additional cases with fingerprint records linked to terrorism to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

I guess the fact that only two of the cases were terrorism related is a positive?

Thanks for reading!

DHS OIG Report
Federal Acquisition Regulation

a reply to: bonsaihorn

but at least they are reporting it

That should not be a phrase we associate with our government.
We all know that the system is broken. How broken it is should not be hidden. How are those in charge fixing it?

Seems to me that it should be an inherently governmental function (meaning contractors shouldn't be doing it) because saying, "oh, that was a contractor's fault" should not be an excuse for a government agency.

Alot of that seems to be going on in our government currently. Seems our leaders use them for deniability.

a reply to: shooterbrody

So I assume that instead of asking to revamp the legal immigration system you are using this info to push for tougher stances on illegal immigration?

Why don't we start with enforcing the laws we have?

Thought so.

originally posted by: shooterbrody
a reply to: bonsaihorn
Alot of that seems to be going on in our government currently. Seems our leaders use them for deniability.

Privatizing government work is a conservative position, just an fyi. Can't blame this on Obama or the Democrats.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Privatizing government work is a conservative position, just an fyi. Can't blame this on Obama or the Democrats.

Who has been running the place for the last 8 years?
Obama owns every bit of this problem. Eight years is PLENTY of time to fix that system.

So I assume that instead of asking to revamp the legal immigration system you are using this info to push for tougher stances on illegal immigration?

What is wrong with enforcing the laws we have? Until the laws can be changed and the system fixed ?

As to your "privitization" argument..........

"Refugees need access to financial and legal services, education, and employment opportunities; we believe the private sector is uniquely placed to help build the infrastructure needed to support these services," the U.N.'s High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said of the Soros investment.

www.cnbc.com...

I hope he builds all that in the private sector.......in the refugees HOME countries.

originally posted by: shooterbrody
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Privatizing government work is a conservative position, just an fyi. Can't blame this on Obama or the Democrats.

Who has been running the place for the last 8 years?
Obama owns every bit of this problem. Eight years is PLENTY of time to fix that system.

Obama isn't a king you know... He can't oversee every little bit and piece of the government. There's these things called "Checks and Balances" that keep him from doing that. Perhaps you've heard of them?

What is wrong with enforcing the laws we have? Until the laws can be changed and the system fixed ?

Have you talked to many immigrants? I have and I can promise you that if we were to overhaul our legal immigration process then FAR fewer people would be coming here illegally. My buddy from China just told me he has to pay $4500 to renew his H1B visa (he showed me the bill too). He told me that yesterday. Considering the destitution that most illegals come from, there is no WAY they can afford prices like that, and that's JUST a work visa.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t

Have you talked to many immigrants? I have and I can promise you that if we were to overhaul our legal immigration process then FAR fewer people would be coming here illegally. My buddy from China just told me he has to pay $4500 to renew his H1B visa (he showed me the bill too). He told me that yesterday. Considering the destitution that most illegals come from, there is no WAY they can afford prices like that, and that's JUST a work visa.

But I could turn that around. If we didn't have who knows how many illegal immigrants (over 11 million?) we would be able to allow more legal immigrants, and it would be much cheaper for them to get in. So tell your friend to blame the illegals that have snuck in for his trouble with his visa.

a reply to: Grambler

So we are going to blame inept government bureaucracy on illegals?

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Obama isn't a king you know... He can't oversee every little bit and piece of the government. There's these things called "Checks and Balances" that keep him from doing that. Perhaps you've heard of them?

don't the republicans keep tagging crazy stuff on democratic reforms?