Special Registration for Arab Immigrants Will Reportedly Stop

New York Times ^ | November 22, 2003 | RACHEL L. SWARNS

[flamefront]

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21 -- The Homeland Security Department has decided to stop a program that required thousands of Arab and Muslim men to register with immigration authorities after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, officials said on Friday.

Hoping to hunt down terrorists, immigration officials fingerprinted, photographed and interviewed 85,000 Muslim and Arab noncitizens from November 2002 to May 2003 under the program. The effort, the largest to register immigrants in decades, required annual reporting. Men from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria began going to immigration offices for a second round of registrations this month.

Officials have acknowledged that most of the Arabs and Muslims who have complied with the requirements had no ties to terrorist groups. Of the 85,000 men who went to immigration offices early this year, as well as tens of thousands screened at airports and border crossings, 11 had links to terrorism, officials said.

The program was sharply criticized by civil liberties groups and advocates for immigrants. The critics said it did little to find terrorists and alienated the very communities that could help uncover terrorists. Advocates for immigrants have also complained that immigration officials have done little to publicize the second round, touching off waves of confusion and anxiety.

Government officials said questions had arisen about the effectiveness of the program. They said an announcement about ending it might be made as early as next week.

A spokesman for the Homeland Security Department, William Strassberger, would not confirm any decisions on program, but acknowledged that it was being reviewed to determine whether it should end. The decision to discontinue the program, known as special registration, was first reported in The Washington Post.

"We're continuing to evaluate the special registration program for its effectiveness and efficiency and whether this is the best use of resources," Mr. Strassberger said.

He said the program might be superseded by an effort in which immigration officials at 115 airports and 14 seaports will begin collecting digital fingerprints and photographs from foreign visitors who enter the United States with visas. That program, which is scheduled to begin in January, is not be specifically directed at Muslims and Arabs, he said.

Advocates for immigrants said they were relieved to hear that the special registration program would end, but said many immigrants remained uncertain about complying with the second round of reporting.

"It's definitely a good sign that homeland security is looking into the matter, but people are still very confused," said Kareem Shora, a legal adviser for the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Lucas Guttentag, a senior lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, called the decision an admission of failure.

"The government's plan to terminate special registration for Arab and Muslim immigrants," Mr. Guttentag, head of the Immigrants' Rights Project at the A.C.L.U., said, "is an implicit acknowledgement that this was a failed, discriminatory program."

The government began registrations at airports and border crossings in October 2002, focusing on visitors from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria, as well as other people who seemed suspicious or had unusual itineraries. The special registration program was announced in November.

[flamefront]

Uh-oh, I don't see any advocates for regular citizens in this discussion.

[risk]

stunning

[gubamyster]

ping

[dagnabbit]

Of the 85,000 men who went to immigration offices early this year, as well as tens of thousands screened at airports and border crossings, 11 had links to terrorism, officials said.

Well that's 11 islamic-terrorist-connected folks we won't catch next year. Not to mention the hundreds of islamic-terrorist-connected folks not detected as such, but kicked out as illegal aliens under the program. Not to mention the thousands of "regular" illegal aliens found through the program.

I can't wait until the Republicans are back in power so we can get serious about stopping Islamic terrorists from coming into the country.

[Mr. Mojo]

Of the 85,000 men who went to immigration offices early this year, as well as tens of thousands screened at airports and border crossings, 11 had links to terrorism, officials said.

11 that they know of.

[Fledermaus]

I can't wait until the Republicans are back in power so we can get serious about stopping Islamic terrorists from coming into the country.

The Republicans are in power, that's the problem. The Rockefeller wing has taken over in revenge against us conservatives.

[RIGHT IN SEATTLE]

Thanks for the Fl%^cking advise!

[BulletBobCo]

This post would sound better with the removal of the first three words in the title.

[MissAmericanPie]

We are paying what for this kind of protection from what is laughingly refered to as "Homeland Security"?

32 billion just in start up costs for yet another totally useless, non-functioning, corruptable, that will end up doing more harm to average americans than it ever will to terrorist, fat, over blown, through the roof expensive, federal agency.

[Wolfhound777]

Incredible! The Office of Homeland Insecurity is living up to its name. Save the tax payers some money and disband them. They won't get past PC to do the job anyway.

[dagnabbit]

No kidding.

We would be significantly more secue now, if sometime in September 2001, the Administration had announced that all aliens from the following countries (insert Islamic League members here) were barred entry to the USA until further notice, and such aliens already here had 30 days to be elsewhere.

[GatekeeperBookman]

"The War has many facets; http://aztlan.net/ Look at your enemy."

People say this anti-immigrant rant & racist talk will get us banned. Perhaps such removal would be a piece-meal affair, like the firing of the rebellious general officers in the military by the Klinton stooges. Wouldn't want any sudden 'mass' removals-that would be, well...too much like racist immigrant bashing & MASS DEPORTATION.

Am I the only person to note that 'racist' has replaced 'bigoted' as the pejorative slander of choice, THEE high sin of the PC culture? A more harsh term I suspect-a sharper sword.

[Iscool]

You of course, are correct...But our global president doesn't share our views on illegal, criminal immigration...

While I initially thouht this plan of the government's was totally stupid and a waste of taxpayer monies, I underestimated the stupidity of the illegal aliens...
Imagine putting an ad in the paper for all rapists, murderers and thieves to come on in and register...And then sit there and wait for 'em to show up...Well, plenty of A-rabs did just that...
Apparently they eventually wised up and quit volunteering to get arrested...

[Jim Noble]

President Bush has done a reasonable job in the war against our enemies-but his government will fall, and he will be replaced by a socialist, if we are attacked in our own country again by persons who should have been excluded or deported.

It is unimaginable to me (I literally have no explanation) that Muslim males of military age are permitted to enter this country or remain here without intensive screening and passage of some kind of loyalty test.

<What on earth is Bush thinking?

[Jim Noble]

Of the 85,000 men who went to immigration offices early this year, as well as tens of thousands screened at airports and border crossings, 11 had links to terrorism, officials said

Speaking of the eleven-what was done with their bodies?

[FITZ]

I guess he figures that with Americans removing their shoes at the airports everything is safe now. It's okay to let anyone into the country and we don't have to worry about what they might be up to.

[lightning]

"Of the 85,000 men who went to immigration offices early this year, as well as tens of thousands screened at airports and border crossings, 11 had links to terrorism, officials said."

How many did it take to knock down two skyscrapers demolish the Pentagon and kill thousands of American citizens--ANSWER: 19

[kenth]

Of the 85,000 men who went to immigration offices early this year, as well as tens of thousands screened at airports and border crossings, 11 had links to terrorism, officials said.

This is an outrage! Inconveniencing all those poor men just to find only eleven had terrorist ties. How could we allow that to happen?

Honestly, what could eleven men do? It's not as if there's enough of them to hijack a couple planes and kill a few thousand people by bringing down two major buildi...

never mind.

[Dr Warmoose]

Using this logic, we should immediately get rid of the "Insta-Check" system to screen gun owners.

Think that will happen? Hell no. Muslims have a right to terrorize Americans. Americans have no right to defend themselves from such animals.

[SCalGal]

Am I the only person to note that 'racist' has replaced 'bigoted' as the pejorative slander of choice, THEE high sin of the PC culture? A more harsh term I suspect-a sharper sword.

You're not the only one, and you're right.