Posted on 11/07/2001 5:23:05 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
ATTENTION, terrorists: Want a U.S. visa? Worried about America's so-called immigration "crackdown" in response to the 9-11 attacks? Have no fear. If you've got cash, your green card is in the bag.
Last weekend, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that federal officials had arrested a Saudi national accused of accepting bribes for U.S. visas. Abdulla Noman worked for the U.S. Commerce Department and issued visas in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. An informant told FBI agents that he paid Noman "approximately $3,178" in 1998 for a U.S. visa. Noman was nabbed last week during a visa-buying sting operation in Las Vegas. Investigators are probing Noman's possible links to the 9-11 hijackers -- 15 of whom received their visas legally in Saudi Arabia.
Noman's arrest, coupled with new measures to "tighten" the foreign student visa program, may appear to close off easy access to American green cards. But terrorists need not worry. There are plenty of other ways to purchase U.S. visas.
These cash-for-visa schemes are advertised widely on the Internet, in international newspapers, and by the U.S. government itself.
Take the EB-5 immigrant investor visa offered by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service. It allows up to 10,000 wealthy foreigners and their families each year to buy immigrant visas in exchange for business investments. The law says the down payment must be at least $500,000. But former INS officials-turned-private consultants successfully lobbied for loosened financial rules. Despite recent reforms, the scam continues around the world.
Here is what one immigration firm, Acker Choquette Advocates based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, promises Middle Eastern immigrant investor applicants on its website: "Financing is available, with low initial cash investment of US $136,000.00. Minimum physical presence in the US is all that is required, along with the intent to remain a permanent resident."
We sell visas like used cars: Cheap, quick, and sleazy.
Here's another: The E-2 treaty investor program allows many foreigners (including those from Egypt, Oman, and Pakistan) to enter the country without INS approval if they fork over a modest $150,000 investment and agree to manage U.S.-based businesses. The E-2 visas take as little as two days to process and can be renewed indefinitely. Investors can bring their spouses, children, and "key employees" with them.
Then there's the "245(i) provision" of immigration law, which allows visa overstayers to pay a measly $1,000 fee and "adjust their status" without leaving the U.S. Rest of Story Here.
That was the White House Travel Agency. The Commerce Department was Ron Brown's balliwick. It would be interesting to know if GWB has replaced those folks.
And your point? Are they funneling immigrants here?
How this should read: "Though most of the 19 people who killed 5000+ of our citizens were nationals from your country we'll still give you as many visas as we ever have. We'll still be nice to you."
Great- at this rate we'll soon have no republic except here on FR. Your screen name fits this one.
I had more trouble changing my name when I got married and transferring my DMV info to another state! Not to mention filing taxes every year.
This should be kept at the top of Breaking News for at least a week...
Suz
Looks like it. I surfed their site and they are using a law that congress passed in 1990 to ‘stimulate the economy’ that allows anyone with 500k to invest in a business in low income or disadvantaged neighborhoods ect. a permanent resident visa in the US. (I wondered why foreigners own all the 7-11s) It doesn't have to be their money either --- it can be borrowed or a gift. It looks like if they pony up the cash, they get the paper – no questions asked.
They also offer 'second passports' for "business people" who for political reasons don't want to travel on their own passport. It looks like Grenada will sell anyone a passport.
It all looks to be perfectly legal and incredibly stupid.
There are probably dozens of law firms doing the same thing.
His case was different in the amount paid to an immigration atty (only $3500), but what set me off like I have never been before and which scared me to know I had it in me was seeing the 3rd-world lines move fast with very few questions asked. I was in the INS line with him for 5 hours while I watched hundreds of 3rd-world applicants move ahead in minutes. (We took turns holding the place in line but the INS staff later said we couldn't do that. Worse yet alot of 3rd-world people in back of us were pulled out and put towards the front of other lines when they showed proper paperwork.)
Some of the INS staff would come out into the line areas to check paperwork ahead of time. They would ensure there were interpreters for 3rd-world types, and that there papers were in order. I am a stickler for paperwork and I helped my friend assemble his package. Just to get the forms was an enormous hassle, and then we were told the forms were incorrect. When I pointed out they were the same as the 3rd-world group in front of us, the INS guy said "I'm telling you that's not the right form!". When I asked him where could I find the "correct" forms package, he said I would have to call the same number and request them by mail (which took weeks). I asked "why don't you just put the forms out here in the lobby area where people can access them?". He said "it's the law". I told him "it's not law, it's policy!".
Weeks later after getting another forms package in the mail (which was identical), we went back and waited with the same forms package, and this time no one said they were incorrect. We waited 4 hours (2 hours on the street before opening and 2 hours inside) before getting to the clerk counter. The INS clerk (yep, with an accent) starts shuffling through the paperwork glancing at us repeatedly and then gets to the fingerprint card. Now the instructions on the fingerprint card are very explicit (coming from the FBI) and suggest the local police department be used to do the fingerprinting. The instructions state exactly how the prints need to be. (We had stopped at a police station that was experienced in doing fingerprints for INS and they assured us that his fingerprints were done correctly.) The INS clerk told us that the fingerprints were not done correctly.
At the sametime in the next line was a family from Ecuador at the counter with another INS clerk. Their papers for all their family members were stamped with hardly an inspection. I could not believe my eyes. I went into near shock as it suddenly dawned on me that this was a setup. Standing at the counter, my friend looked at me helplessly holding the fingerprint cards for me to look at, which I did again, and thought they were fine. The clerk looked at us and said he will have to have them redone and began motioning for the next person in line.
What happened next is something people well remember for a long time. I (at that time, politically inactive and moderate in views) was overcome with emotion and I did something completely uncharacteristic. I slammed my fist on the counter and began screaming with my full force. I told the clerk if she didn't get this matter settled immediately I was going to crawl all over her "like a tarantula". She said she would contact security. I said good and contact the newspapers too. Her supervisor came out, he was the same dingbat that told us weeks earlier that the forms package was incorrect. I realized the day's battle was lost, I regained some composure and stormed out of that place in a fit with my friend in tow. Looking back over my should I saw 2 well-dressed men (I foundout later they were senior regional INS directors ) walk behind us and the last thing I heard was "I hope they are not too angry".
We went that same day to an INS atty and vented. The atty reviewed the paperwork and said it was Ok. I asked repeatedly what the hell is going on? She said don't worry, let's concentrate on getting your friend through the process. She setup an appointment for the next week (note we had been told over the telephone that appointments were not being made at the time).
The atty walked my friend right past all the counters into an interviewer's office. I waited outside. 15 minutes later he and she came out and he went to get his picture taken for an alien registraton card.
This whole lightning induced conversion episode started me on the road to becoming a hard right persona. I realized then and subsequently that the country is under attack from within. It still is.
The story is similar. I'd love to tell the name of the elected official who finally helped my friends, but I cannot; and he'd probably deny it anyhow. It's a name you would recognize. He had been my friend's employer many years before when both were in private business.
No word of his help has ever been spoken and the two men have not spoken for at least 20 years. But the green cards came in the mail promptly after my husband's letter.
Our friend did not know we had contacted this individual until just a year or so ago, because such a fuss had been made about not seeking help from elected individuals. There are other elected folks that could have helped our friends, but my friend was extremely reluctant to ask. He was well known, and he kept his immigration problems a secret from all but us. It almost drove him into bankruptcy.
I pity any human being that has to deal with the INS.
I think the moderators have created an atmosphere around here that people no longer want to post to breaking news. Too much breaking news gets moved too quickly by the moderators, in my opinion.
I chose "Hostage" because here in Seattle if I express my hard-right views through personal experiences such as the one I describe above, I will become ostracized and perhaps even attacked. There is a liberal mafia here (and yes I mean mafia), a strong world socialist presence (actually communist) and an iron grip by unions over local politics. Seattle can'teven field a GOP candidate for anything. McDermott is rep for my district. Hence, my views are held hostage.
Some say I should be reaganesque and let loose of my views. But the liberals here are like Nazis (no exaggeration). Expressing conservative or right-wing views incurs a heavy cost. So I work behind the scenes.
I don't seek controversy, it finds me. And when it finds me, you would never know of my objections openly. You would find me whispering them in some cafe or place where no one can hear me speak. The INS incident happened in 1993. I was naive then, I am more politically savvy now.
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