New York, December 2006
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U.S. Considered the Least Friendly Country to Visit
 LOS ANGELES, CA
- Foreign travelers recently gave the United States low ratings in terms of
friendliness in a survey conducted by a private group. The U.S. was well ahead
of other countries like Asia and the Middle East which were runner-ups for the
most unfriendly country. More than 2,000 individuals took part in the survey and
represented 16 countries. Among some of the most common complaints was that U.S.
immigration officials were rude and the processing time for
visas. A common fear
among foreign travelers was being detained after their arrival in the United
States for saying something wrong to the immigration official or encountering
some kind of problem with their paperwork. Others like businessmen complained
about there being too many barriers to obtain a visa for a business trip. As a
result, the businessmen sometimes looked to other markets. However, once in the
United States the perception of the country improved among many foreigners. The
more visits to the U.S., the better image they had.
The negative image that some
foreigners have about travel to the U.S. may help explain why the number of
business and leisure trips has dropped in recent years. The private group, the
Discover America Partnership, is using this information to help improve
America’s image among foreigners and to attract more travelers. |
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Counterfeit Immigration Documents a Growing Problem
 WASHINGTON, DC
- Fake documents are increasingly being used by illegal immigrants to find
jobs.
Counterfeit state identifications,
driver’s license and
social security cards
along with other forms are readily available in communities with a large
presence of immigrants. When some immigrants are turned down due to fake
documentation they sometimes offer to bring back higher quality documents. Even
though some employers know they are fake they may still hire
illegal immigrants.
Jobs where illegal immigrants are most likely to be found are those paying
minimum wage and labor intensive. While laws exist to prevent fraud, few get
prosecuted when it comes to counterfeit documents. The personnel dedicated to
these types of cases are limited since other types of crimes are given priority.
However, there are specific fraud cases where the sentence involves mandatory
prison time.
In 2004 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services introduced a program called
the Basic Pilot Employment Verification Program to aid employers in verifying
the legality of the applicant. Since its introduction about 12,000 employers of
an estimated 12 million employers have registered to use the program. Part of
its slow adoption may be due to the weakness that there are times when the
system will not catch identity theft which occurs often. |
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Arizona Border Watcher has a Reputation for Mistreatment
 TUCSON, AZ
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A ranch owner near the U.S.-Mexico border in
Arizona has made it his duty to
prevent more immigrants from getting into the United States. Roger Barnett, a
retired Sheriff, along with his family continuously watches over their 22,000
acres of land. Barnett claims that over the years the family has prevented about
12,000 immigrants from getting farther into the United States. The
border
watcher is armed with a pistol and carries a rifle in his truck. Barnett has
many times called the border patrol after detaining groups of
illegal
immigrants. He is admired by civilian border watch groups such as the Minutemen,
but is being sued by immigrant rights groups for his actions. Immigrants claim
that guns have been pointed at them by Barnett and that he uses racial slurs. In
a recent lawsuit, one woman claims to have been kicked by Barnett. Others claim
some kind of abuse and even being threatened by Barnett’s dogs. Barnett says he
has a right to protect his property and is doing his part to keep out
illegal
immigrants. He has prevailed in some lawsuits due to lack of evidence, but
recently lost a lawsuit and had to pay nearly $100,000. One immigrant rights
group is fighting to have the state revoke Barnett’s land lease. He is still
facing lawsuits, but Barnett and his family are determined to keep patrolling
their property. Immigrant right groups are encouraging immigrants to report any
incidences of abuse by Barnett and other border watchers. |
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Narita Airport likely to be next U.S. Immigration Station
 TOKYO, JAPAN
- It is not official yet but the United States and Japan are working out an
agreement to allow American immigration officers to be stationed at the Narita
airport. This would help the Americans and Japanese in their battle against
international terrorism. Stationing U.S. immigration officers abroad would not
be at first. American immigration officers are currently stationed in London’s
Heathrow, the Warsaw airport and Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. As early as
January 2007 four U.S. immigration officers could be stationed in Narita. The
officers would be located at Terminal 1 where American airlines are located. All
officers would be required to be experts in the following languages: Spanish,
Chinese, Japanese and Korean. In addition, they would assist in any issues
pertaining to the validity of American passports and whether travelers have
fulfilled the requirements to enter the U.S. Another of their responsibilities
would be to let Japanese police and immigration officials know about passport
holders who have a high probability of being denied admission into the U.S.
However, the final say on whether those passengers are allowed to travel would
be made by the airlines. Airlines that carry a passenger not meeting the entry
requirements may be fined up to $3,300. However, this fee may be waived if
American immigration officials were previously consulted. The officer abroad
program in Narita would first be tested and then fully implemented. |
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Parents Facing Deportation Choose Future of Their U.S. Citizen Children
 ATLANTA, GA
- It is not uncommon for children with U.S. citizenship to have one or both
parents that are illegal immigrants. Estimates put this number at slightly over
3 million children with one illegal parent in the country. There are about 1.5
million American children whose both parents are in the country illegally.
Currently, the parents who face deportation have the choice of deciding whether
the children (if minors) will leave or stay in the United States. The United
States government does not make that choice, but critics argue that this allows
for deportation of United States citizens which is
illegal. A significant number
of parents choose to take their children with them. Others leave their children
in the hands of family or friends here in the U.S. to take care of them. There
are a small percentage of deported parents that abandon their children in the
United States. In these cases, the U.S. government takes custody of the children
and turns them over to social services. As a result, the abandoned children tend
to end up in the foster care system. Unfortunately, the Department of Homeland
Security Children and Families Program is seeing a greater number of minors who
are being abandoned by their deported parents. Recently, a class-action lawsuit
against the U.S. government was filed by 60 American children whose parents face
deportation. Their argument is that such deportation violates certain amendments
of the U.S. Constitution. |
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Central American Immigrants on the Rise, Critics Argue for Strategy Change
 EL PASO, TX
-Mexico is the gateway to the United States for many
illegal immigrants. For
many Central American immigrants, Mexico is their first stop. Some have reached
Mexico via jumping on freight trains and then riding for hundreds of miles.
Numerous lives have been lost attempting to jump aboard trains and many injuries
have also occurred. In 2005 nearly 250,000 immigrants were
deported by Mexican
authorities. One contributing factor is that the country’s borders with
Guatemala and Belize are not heavily guarded. Even with
deportation, many
illegal immigrants detained by Mexican officials are not discouraged. A large
majority eventually reach the United States. Immigrants usually flee their
homeland due to the lack of opportunities and/or violence. The Department of
Homeland Security has seen a significant increase in the number of applications
filed for asylum. Some are escaping the violence of infamous gangs such as Mara Salvatrucha and the Mexican mafia who continue to instill fear. International
gangs have especially become problematic in countries like Guatemala, Honduras
and El Salvador.
Critics of the U.S. government strongly believe that instead of
spending millions on improved border security measures, this money would be
better spent assisting economic development in foreign countries. Improving the
overall state of these countries and creating opportunities could discourage
some from leaving their homeland. |
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