Questions Raised Over New Immigration Rules

Newsday.com ^ | September 18, 2002 | Ayaz Nanji

[Marine Inspector]

Ayaz Nanji is a freelance writer.

Last Wednesday, as New Yorkers honored those killed by terrorist attacks a year earlier, some Arab and Muslim students arriving to study in the city were fingerprinted and photographed by immigration officials.

This practice reflected a nationwide policy change intended to give federal immigration officials the ability to monitor foreign students and other temporary visitors from certain Muslim or Arab countries.

[Marine Inspector]

Break out your cheese, I've found some whine.

[Marine Inspector]

ping

[hellinahandcart]

The idea of a system that keeps track of everything from photographs to course completion is likened by some students to Big Brother.

"I'm not against fingerprinting," said Ali Hashmi, a New York University student who grew up in Saudi Arabia and has a Pakistani passport. "But each little step raises the question of what's next? It seems like it's getting closer and closer to a police state."

Asim Ghafoor, a Muslim who works as a spokesperson for Islamic charities, also finds the new approach disquieting.

"I've told my relatives to think twice about coming here to study," said Ghafoor. "We should be rolling out the red carpet for these students, not rolling out something out of Orwell."

I am delighted that people with such a huge sense of entitlement, who are here only at our pleasure, are being told by their own relatives to think twice about coming here.

[Marine Inspector]

I hope they all think twice about comming here.

[hellinahandcart]

Hey, there are colleges in other countries. If they don't want to go through the procedures let 'em go to school somewhere else.

[Marine Inspector]

Agreed.

[angkor]

Having not read the entire article (fairly predictible, I'm sure)....

Compare our "onerous" new restrictions to the obscene discrimination faced by expat Western workers in Saudi.

Secret churches, rampant discrimination against Western women, no dancing, etc.

These Saudi students have a lot of da**ed nerve.

Abdul, if ya don't like it, lump it. Stay at home in your Islamic paradise, you leech.

[JimSEA]

We should require that all students be fingerprinted and photographed in their country of orign. The USA Embassy there should do this while determining if they are a threat if permitted in the USA. At entry, the INS should verify that the visa and the person match. Ditto on arrival at the school which should be required to verify the student each quarter or semester. My wife and two sister-in-laws came to the USA first as students -- they feel this is only reasonable and would support it even in normal times. We are at war now.

[hellinahandcart]

Asim Ghafoor

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Let 'em cry. We're at war and we have a right to protect and defend ourselves from those sworn to destroy us. Instead of fingerprinting I'd rather they kept Muslims out altogether at least for a while.

[BulletBrasDotNet]

Shoot 'em first. Ask the questions later.

[Seeker204]

So this is America.

[BulletBrasDotNet]

Let 'em cry. We're at war and we have a right to protect and defend ourselves from those sworn to destroy us. Instead of fingerprinting I'd rather they kept Muslims out altogether at least for a while.

Let's cut to the chase... nuke Mecca and save a whole lot of money and worry, while we move on.... to equally pressing requirements.

[Marine Inspector]

Agreed.

[YankeeReb]

"I've told my relatives to think twice about coming here to study," said Ghafoor. "We should be rolling out the red carpet for these students, not rolling out something out of Orwell."

I have some relatives who are Christian missionaries, and I told them to think twice about going into Saudi Arabia. They should be rolling out the red carpet over there for US. After all, without American & Western knowhow they'd be drinking their oil.

[Lucky]

A Border Patrol Agent on Hannity and Commie right now.

[Marine Inspector]

Agreed.

[Marine Inspector]

Thanks, I'll try to catch the replay.

[Marine Inspector]

Sounds good to me. Better yet, don't let them in.

[Joe Hadenuf]

bttt