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New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez interceded on behalf of an Ecuadorian woman who was banned from traveling to the U.S. because of allegations she had engaged in visa fraud. The woman, Estafania Isaias, is the daughter of a fugitive from Ecuador convicted in absentia for bank fraud and whose relatives in Florida made significant campaign donations to the New Jersey Democrat's 2012 campaign and the Democratic Party. Current and former U.S. government officials tell NBC 4 New York that Estefania Isaias was barred from traveling to the U.S. in 2007 because she allegedly lied on visa applications to bring immigrant...

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, her Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills, and Sen. Bob Menendez (D., N.J.) supported a visa waiver for the daughter of a fugitive Ecuadorian banker in exchange for significant campaign contributions to the Democratic Party. On Tuesday, NBC 4 New York reported that Menendez, with express written support from Clinton, intervened on behalf of Estefania Isaías, who was banned from traveling to the U.S. due to accusations of visa fraud. Isaías is the daughter of Roberto Isaias, who lives in Miami and is currently fighting extradition to Ecuador for banking crimes and under investigation for...

Note: The following text is a quote: http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress09/mueller032509.htm Congressional Testimony Robert S. Mueller, III Director Federal Bureau of Investigation Statement Before the Senate Judiciary Committee March 25, 2009 Good morning Chairman Leahy, Senator Specter, and Members of the Committee. I am pleased to be here today. As you know, we in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have undergone unprecedented transformation in recent years, from developing the intelligence capabilities necessary to address emerging terrorist and criminal threats, to creating the administrative and technological structure necessary to meet our new mission as a national security service. Today, the FBI is a...

WASHINGTON — US immigration officials on Monday announced moves to ease and speed up visa-processing for HIV-positive visitors to the United States, months after a 21-year entry ban on people with the virus was lifted. Under the new rules, US consular offices overseas will have the authority to grant temporary, non-immigrant visas to HIV-positive applicants who meet "all of the other normal criteria for the granting of a US visa," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement. Previously, people with HIV were banned from entering the United States unless they obtained a special waiver.The ban on HIV-positive...

WASHINGTON - The State Department rejected on Wednesday suggestions that some terror suspects could have easy access to the United States because of rules that do not require citizens of select countries to obtain visas. Questions about access to the U.S. by extremists from so-called visa waiver countries arose this week following the sentencing of five Britons to life prison terms after their convictions in London in a terrorist bomb plot. The ringleader was Omar Khyam, who is of Pakistani descent. The five Britons, after a yearlong trial, were convicted of plotting to attack the London targets with bombs made...

The Lehrman Auditorium at the Heritage Foundation was packed on July 24th. They were gathered to hear a panel discuss the issue of the Visa Waiver Policy. The panel consisted of Stewart Baker who serves as the Assistant Secretary of Policy at the Department of Homeland Security, Dan Griswold of the Cato Institute and Michael McCarry, Executive Director of Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange. James Jay Carafano of the Heritage Foundation moderated the discussion. “Visa policy is essential for our government to look at,” Dr. Carafano stated at the start of the discussion. Assistant Secretary Baker explained the...