U.S. Can’t Trace Foreign Visitors on Expired Visa [Approx. 3 Million Visitors Unaccounted For!]

NYTimes ^ | October 11th 2009

[Steelfish]

U.S. Can’t Trace Foreign Visitors on Expired Visas

By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr. and JULIA PRESTON October 11, 2009

DALLAS — Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country.

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi entered the United States legally, but then overstayed his visa. [Pic in URL]

New concern was focused on that security loophole last week, when Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, a 19-year-old Jordanian who had overstayed his tourist visa, was accused in court of plotting to blow up a Dallas skyscraper.

Last year alone, 2.9 million foreign visitors on temporary visas like Mr. Smadi’s checked in to the country but never officially checked out, immigration officials said. While officials say they have no way to confirm it, they suspect that several hundred thousand of them overstayed their visas.

Over all, the officials said, about 40 percent of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States came on legal visas and overstayed.

Mr. Smadi’s case has brought renewed calls from both parties in Congress for Department of Homeland Security officials to complete a universal electronic exit monitoring system.

Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, the senior Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said the Smadi case “points to a real need for an entry and exit system if we are serious about reducing illegal immigration.”

[Steely Tom]

I’m guessing the excuse is going to be: “the system failed us.”

[max americana]

It’s racist to find all 3 million.

[SIDENET]

Could happen to anybody.

At least we've got the borders secured.

[rabscuttle385]

Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country.

Can the folks at the top be really that stupid?

I mean, it's like "duh!"--track what visas were issued and to whom, and then record entries and exits when the individual's passport is inspected at point of entry or point of exit (which would correspond to a point of entry in the destination country).

Tracking foreign visitors once they are in the United States is a different story.

[elk]

ping

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Eight years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and despite repeated mandates from Congress, the United States still has no reliable system for verifying that foreign visitors have left the country.

When we make no real effort to control our borders and anyone who wishes can enter the US without legal approval, what difference does this make?

[allmost]

Not sure if this article was posted here but I thought it relevant on the thread.
To complicate matters even further. U.S. Intelligence Pulls Plug On Cross-Agency E-Mail System

[Soothesayer9]

Yeah, chip everyone so this doesn’t happen. Oh wait..

[pepsionice]

There are four basic keys to fixing the problem but the public has zero interest. First, national ID card across the nation for citizens only. Second, make it a requirement to show the card if you want to sign a apartment rental deal or rent a hotel room or get any service via anyone. Third, visas are written for 120 days maximum...if you want to extend it...you ask to extend it but you keep putting yourself back into the request mood each time. Finally...put a bounty on each one of these guys who overstay and fail to request a new visa....say $3k in cash to turn the guy in and then accept no reasoning for helping the guy ever again. If you got 100,000 bounty hunters on the streets of the US...we’d eventually fix the problem.

[allmost]

First, national ID card across the nation...

We`had some hijackers on 9/11 with legal licenses. Beyond that reality Big Brother's got enough info on it's citizens as it is.

[paudio]

The only group that they have relatively good monitoring system is the international students who go to legitimate schools, through SEVIS. Students have to take certain number of credits to stay legally in the US. Even this, the problem will only arise when the students want to officially depart from, or re-enter the US. Apart from this system, I don't know how they trace 'visitors' -- especially those who do not want to take official routes.

[Tainan]

The current system is broke.
It cannot be fixed.
Until that is understood and it is completely redone...FORGET IT.

I like the 'bounty' idea mentioned above. Perhaps with some slight tuning it might be actionable.
But first a system of accountability MUST be put into place.
People enter the USA and then disappear. Even if they get arrested...they disappear again. This must be stopped.
If this is not done...NOTHING WILL CHANGE.
Aliens/Immigrants must be required to report to local agencies. They MUST be held accountable for doing this with penalties up to and including jail time and deportation.
Other countries do this. WHY NOT THE USA?

[tdscpa]

Visa, schmisa. Why do we allow anyone to enter this country with any one of these names on a visa, drivers license, library card, dog tag, credit card, tattoo, underwear label, etc:

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi

I can not believe we have a need for people with similar names in this country.

[rawcatslyentist]

He77, there's a foreign national that overstayed his student visa at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. DC.

Why worry bout a few zillion central Americans?

[Former War Criminal]

Is this like not closing out your flight plan?

[LibLieSlayer]

obama’s fault!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LLS

[Big Giant Head]

It’s so easy to hide in America.

In the ‘80’s I was playing in a band for a living. I picked up a hitchhiker on a long drive to a gig. He was English, on a 6 month Visa, working and hitchhiking around America for fun. I talked him into hanging out with us for the night, for the free beer. Which lead to the next week, month.... He finally left the band, and America three years later. Being in a band is a pretty public lifestyle. Of course he looked like an Englishman, and spoke that way.

He told me when he finally left, he handed the agents his Visa upside down, and they quickly opened it and stamped it without ever checking the dates. WAY too easy.

[Mister Muggles]

BULLSH!T...They can trace me when I owe the IRS $100 in past due taxes...

[Tainan]

Same gov't...different department.

Thats the one that does do the "bounty" thing.
See...it works!