Posted on 05/02/2002 12:22:58 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON – Airport immigration inspectors fear a batch of stolen birth certificates could be used by Middle Eastern terrorists to enter the U.S. without visas.
Some 2,000 pre-signed blank birth certificates were swiped last month from Denver's vital records office.
Even after the Sept. 11 hijackings, some domestic airlines still sell so-called "affidavits of identity" to passengers flying abroad as proof of U.S. citizenship in lieu of passports. They're often issued based on birth certificates.
The affidavits, which are sold at ticket counters for about $10, are simply notarized boarding letters. They carry no photo, fingerprint or signature.
"The affidavit and return ticket can be handed off to a foreign national in another country who has an ID card with the same name," said an INS inspector at a major international airport. "And that person can use that document to travel back to the U.S., and that is all that is required for a U.S. immigration officer to admit them under the law."
"This is a real risk to national security," added the officer, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
American Airlines, for one, says it rarely issues the ID affidavits for international flights. But others, such as Champion Air and Sun Country Air, routinely sell them to passengers, INS inspectors say.
"When someone walks up to me and hands me an affidavit of identity, I don't know who the hell they are," said another INS inspector, who also wished to go unnamed. "And the FAA and the airline didn't know who they were when they let them get on the plane."
Some of the Sept. 11 terrorists used several identities.
"How can we make a determination of citizenship and identity based upon a piece of paper issued by an airline, and an ID card, which may be dummied?" he added. "We can't do more than make an educated guess, and that's not good enough after Sept. 11."
The FAA declined comment, referring questions to the INS.
Under Immigration law, and affidavit is not a legal document for identity. I see these things daily, and when someone hands me one, I give it back and ask for a passport or a drivers license and birth certificate. If they don’t have either of those, then they get grilled.
Any Inspector that even looks at one of these things as proof of identity should be fired, because they are violating INS regulations and US law.
"The affidavit and return ticket can be handed off to a foreign national in another country who has an ID card with the same name," said an INS inspector at a major international airport. "And that person can use that document to travel back to the U.S., and that is all that is required for a U.S. immigration officer to admit them under the law."
Only partially true. From Mexico or Canada, a US citizen only has to make an oral declaration to the Immigration Inspector, no type of ID is needed, but the burden of proof is on the person who wishes to enter the US. From Europe and Asia everyone must have a passport, even US citizens.
In five years , the only people that I have seen show up with no ID, are US citizens who got it stolen while in Mexico and illegal aliens. Most people with an IQ above 5 can tell the difference between the two.
When someone shows up with no ID, they go straight to secondary for a good grilling. It takes only a couple of questions to find out if the person is a US Citizen or an imposter. It’s not hard.
"How can we make a determination of citizenship and identity based upon a piece of paper issued by an airline, and an ID card, which may be dummied?"
You don’t, the piece of paper never enters into the equation, and if you are using that paper to make a decision, then you should be fired.
"We can't do more than make an educated guess, and that's not good enough after Sept. 11."
That’s been your job from day one. Every person you inspect and admit is based on an educated guess. It’s your job to make those educated guesses, and if your not up to the task, then pack your bags; I hear the FAA is hiring baggage screeners.
Ask them some questions about baseball.
Baseball, Football, Government, Schools, Geography ect...
You would be surprised how many illegals come in with counterfeit documents claiming they have lived somewhere for many many years, but know nothing about the area.
Given that many people may live someplace for years and not know much about it, not terribly surprised. </sarcasm>
Actually, I would think a bigger problem for the screener would be knowing whether those who claim to live somewhere are in fact accurate in the descriptions of their locale. If someone claims to spend Friday evenings singing Karaoke at Joe's Bar at 73rd and 81st, how would the screener know whether that was plausible or not?
Our supervisor has access to the Internet, so we ask questions about the area they live in. Schools, movie theaters, intersections, Businesses, ect...
99% of which can be verified within minutes on the internet.
We have tripped up allot of folks doing this. It's not written down in any policy manual, but it sure works.
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