U.S. Considers Expanding FBI Database

Washington Post ^ | December 17, 2003 | Dan Eggen

[gubamyster]

Names of Noncrimimal Deportees and Student Visa Violators Would Be Added

Wednesday, December 17, 2003; Page A12

Homeland security officials want to add tens of thousands of illegal immigrants and foreign students to an FBI database designed primarily to help police apprehend wanted criminals, allowing them to instantly identify foreign nationals who have been deported or have violated student visas.

The proposal -- part of a broad push by the Bush administration to more closely monitor foreign nationals since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks -- is raising concerns among some civil liberties advocates and law enforcement groups that fear it will bring police heavily into the business of apprehending immigration violators who have committed no serious crimes. In some cases, they said, that could violate state rules that prohibit police from enforcing federal immigration laws.

Spokesman Jorge Martinez stressed that the Justice Department has not yet made a decision on the plan.

Under the proposal, the FBI's main fugitive database would be expanded to include the names of 140,000 immigrants who are deported each year for noncriminal reasons, officials said. An unknown number return to the country and are here illegally. Authorities also would add the names of thousands of foreign students who do not show up for class or otherwise violate their visas.

[gubamyster]

ping

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Spokesman Jorge Martinez stressed that the Justice Department has not yet made a decision on the plan.

Which means we know what the decision will be, especially after the banks weigh in and conclude the plan could hurt profits.

[martin_fierro]

Just wait'll Hillary gets her hooks into that.

[DumpsterDiver]

...raising concerns among some civil liberties advocates and law enforcement groups that fear it will bring police heavily into the business of apprehending immigration violators who have committed no serious crimes.

I guess millions of foreign nationals (violating at the very least our immigration laws) isn't a "serious crime" to these guys. National sovereignty must mean squat to them.

[TLI]

Authorities also would add the names of thousands of foreign students who do not show up for class or otherwise violate their visas.

How about the ones that did not show up for class last Friday during the wildly successful ILLEGAL ALIEN BOYCOT?

TLI

[Waco]

Jut go to another country, enter illegaly, you'll find out just how serious a crime it is considered. The fed?guv will NOT view you with "passion", the bleeding heart/commie/feel good goons here will NOT scream for your "rights"!!!