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One day in the winter of 1996, while 12-year-old Suad Leija was getting ready for school, more than a dozen armed FBI agents raided her family's Chicago-area home. They were looking for her stepfather, Manuel Leija-Sanchez, who federal authorities believe runs a document-fraud network -- producing fake passports, Social Security cards, driver's licenses and a variety of other official papers -- with cells throughout the United States. That cold morning, the agents were too late. Manuel Leija-Sanchez had fled during the night to Mexico after he was tipped off to the impending raid, his stepdaughter recalled. The business continued to...

The director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that would administer a new guest-worker program and rule on applications from millions of illegal aliens, says the pending Senate bill doesn't give his agency enough time to prepare for that giant task. "Quite frankly, I don't think that's really practical. Ninety days to register 12 million people. Do the math," Emilio T. Gonzalez, who took over as director early this year, told The Washington Times. In a wide-ranging interview, he said he is on track to make USCIS a true part of the nation's national security team, defended the...

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a massive counterfeit check ring that two weeks ago hit a local bank for what is estimated to be more than $100,000. Putnam County Sheriff Howard Sills said that on the afternoon of Thursday, April 13, numerous Hispanics cashed Horton Homes payroll checks at The Peoples Bank. Authorities don’t know exactly how many people cashed checks, some went to more than one teller, but Sills said more than 100 checks counterfeited from a Horton Homes payroll check were cashed. Sills said those cashing the counterfeit checks produced fake immigration cards – commonly known...

Federal and state authorities are working to permanently close a metro Denver counterfeit documents ring allegedly masterminded by a Mexico-based crime family they believe operates in at least 33 states, churning out tens of millions of dollars worth of fake IDs. For months, investigators and prosecutors say they have been working quietly to shut down what they say is an extensive, international fake-document network involving more than 50 people working in Denver. In one real estate scheme alone, fake documents were used by illegal aliens to purchase more than 300 homes valued at $51 million. Authorities say that some document...

Charlotte, North Carolina, Oct 29 (EFE).- A round-up by authorities of undocumented immigrants has transformed a North Carolina municipality into a ghost town, its streets deserted and its factories begging for workers. The Hispanic areas of Lincolnton, a town of almost 10,000 people located west of Charlotte, have been empty since Wednesday, when local police and Lincoln County sheriff's deputies arrested 24 undocumented immigrants working in three plants of RSI, a firm that manufactures and distributes household items. "There's a lot of fear," Jorge Chavez, who runs an agency that sends goods to Costa Rica, told EFE. The undocumented immigrants...

Traffickers often use fake IDs like those in MVD corruption case By Ignacio Ibarra ARIZONA DAILY STAR The fake ID scheme uncovered at Arizona Motor Vehicle Division offices highlights challenges border agents have detecting illegal entrants, but a Border Patrol spokesman says the agency is not expecting the case to have a major impact in its local operations. U.S. Border Patrol officials would not comment on the Motor Vehicle Division case, or any involvement they had in its development. Thirty-four people were indicted Thursday, including 11 current or former MVD employees in Tucson, two former employees in Sierra Vista, two...

Below is one installment of the study material for a test that is to be administered by the American public. Other installments have been sent to you already and more will follow. Your test results will be posted on the First Wednesday after the First Monday in November 2004. 1. Because of a TIP, not the result of diligent operations, during Easter Week 2004, 88 illegal aliens are taken off a flight from Los Angeles, CA, to Newark, NJ. It has been speculated that they were using Mexican- issued Matricula cards for identification. The TSA people say enforcing immigration laws...

Edison,NJ,12/23/03 (THNT) State Police charged 3 men with forgery,tampering with public records,and conspiracy after one of them tried to obtain a NJ ID card (issued at MV facilities)with false documents. Two men,both Pakistani nationals,were arrested after members of the State Police document fraud squad,working undercover,saw them trying to obtain the identity card,using fraudulent documents. The two arrested were: Mohade Aftab Khan,age 29, of Iselin, NJ, and Fiat Muhammed Ivrizwan,age 42,of Metuchen, NJ. A third man,whose identity has not been disclosed,is still being sought. The case was handed over to the Joint Terrorism Task Force,made up of State Police detectives and...

A policy that lets people trying to fraudulently obtain Social Security cards leave with their bogus documents is coming under fire from congressional leaders after the federal inspector who blew the whistle was threatened with suspension.U.S. Reps. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) and Jerry Kleczka (D-Wis.) said the policy should be changed, especially as concern over homeland security increases. Kleczka, who serves on the congressional committee that oversees the Social Security Administration, said he would ask for a hearing. "It's a bad practice that has to be corrected," Kleczka said. Both congressmen said they were unaware of the practice until...