Posted on 03/24/2002 6:22:33 AM PST by RFP
The immigration reform bill under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee may include a proposal to require people entering the United States on temporaty visas to post a bond to guarantee that they leave when their visas expire. George Fishman, chief counsel of the House-Immigration Subcommittee, recently attended the largest bail agent conference in the United States to discuss the possibility of a "Visa Bond." Supporters of the proposal say it is a simple way to enhance national security through the visa process. The bond would work just like bail bonds posted in criminal cases. A foreign student or other temporary visa holder would pay a percentage of the bond up front and the bail agent would guarantee the remainder. The bail agent would then be financially responsible for ensuring that the visa holder complies with the conditions of his visa. If the visitor is a student, the bail agent would verify that the student is registered and attending classes. If the visa holder fails to meet the conditions of the visa, the bail agent will turn him over to the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) for deportation. "There are two benefits of a visa bond," said Steven Camarota of the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). "First, a bond provides a monetary incentive for the visitor to leave when his visa has expired, and second, a visa bond privatizes the entry-exit process." Presently, there is no system to monitor when or whether temporary visa holders leave the country when their visas expire. "Enforcing an entry-exit system is key, because terrorists have gained entrance to the United States with student visas and we know that tens of thousands of people overstay their visa each year," said Camarota. "We can't do things the way we have done in the past. Wheter or not it made sense in the past, it does not make sense to issue temporary visas without an entry-exit system now." Camarota says that foreign students should have no problem paying the bond. "Universities have been claiming for years that foreign students are essential because they pay their own way," he said. "If these rich, elite kids can afford to pay full tuition and expenses to come to American universities, than they can afford to pay a bond."
Miss Calderwood, a senior at Brigham Young University, is an intern with the National Journalism Center.
LOL. That's funny. I always say that when the bodies in my closet are reduced to skeletons that I could run for office.
Posting bonds for everyone is a bad idea and will only hurt the legitimate traveler and the tourist industries.
Illegals won't pay bonds and terrorists will pay whatever you want to get in.
Bonding is not the answer and will not work.
Checking it out now. Thanks for the heads-up.
Respectfully,
Please explain how visa bonding will curtail illegal immigration or terrorism?
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