T5 B14 Misc Correspondence Fdr- Tab 1-5-16-03 Eckert Email Re Immigration Reform 160

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Delete | Reply | Reply to All | Forward | Redirect | Blacklist | Message Source | Resume | Save as | Print Back to INBOX ^ ^ Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:58:01 -0400 From: teldridge@9-11 commission.gov9 To: sginsburg@9-11 commission.gov*ff, meswope@9-11 commission.gov4P, [email protected] Subject: Fwd: Immigration reforms

Forwarded message from Beverly Eckert «(_ Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 09:35:49 -0400 From: Beverly Eckert Reply-To: Beverly Eckert Subject: Immigration reforms To: [email protected]

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I'm a member of the Family Steering Committee and also a member of Peter Gadiel's group. I was unable to attend Wednesday's meeting due to a work scheduling conflict but I want to take this opportunity to pass along a list of needed reforms I believe the 9/11 Commission should recomend in its report: 1.Congress needs to change Sec 212(a)(3) of the Immigration & Nationality Act so that entry to the US and visas are denied to suspected terrorists, someone with terrorists ties as well as members or former members of terrorists groups. The way the law is written, even if someone was at once time affiliated with a terrorist group they can be admitted to the US because the law requires the INS to have reasonable grounds to believe alien has intent to engage in terrorist act in US. (One group who will oppose changes in this law is the pro-Irish lobby because it will bar some IRA members and their associates from the US.) 2. Congress needs to terminate the Visa Waiver Program which allows nationals from 29 countries to come to US with NO visa screening.(See Sec 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act). Under the program as it now stands, screening by the INS first occurs at the port of entry to the US, such as airports, seaports and land border checkpoints. There is no pre-screening by the State Department before these aliens leave from a foreign country (the shoe bomber was a citizen of England and no prescreening was required, nor was a visa was required before he boarded the plane. Such screening may have revealed his terrorist ties). Having pre-travel screening would help the INS manage the volume they deal with at US points of entry. (The tourist industry will fight this. Also, if this is changed, thousands of law-abiding nationals from these countries will need to apply for a visa, when they don't have to now. This would not be popular with those 29 countries. No Arab country is now a beneficiary of this program, but terrorists are citizens of many countries of the world. The 'llth hijacker' is a citizen of France). 3.Currently educational institutions are not required to ask for immigration status of students, whether in grade school or at universities. Most states mandate free public school education to illegals from kindergarten through grade 12. Although this is beneficial to the children, it's a strong incentive for illegals to try to remain here at all costs. It also draws

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5/16/2003

Mail:: INBOX: Fwd: Immigration reforms

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illegals like a magnet. Schools are only required to track aliens who come in on specific student visas, the others are not required to register or report their alien status to the school. There is no legal requirement to require that post-secondary schools such as colleges and universities determine an applicant's immigration status before accepting them for enrollment. 4. The INS and other government agencies need better technology and they need computer systems that interface with each other. Many agencies have dozens of systems, written at different time periods, for different programs and functions. These do not interface with systems even within the same agency. Some believe that government salaries for computer technicians were not compatible with private industry, therefore the government could not attract and keep competent staff, The government then went to private contractors. The contract goes to the lowest bidder and contractors are terminated and others are hired all the time, resulting in a patchwork systems. The INS needs a a lot of funding to upgrade their systems in order to deal with the challenges of enforcing immigration laws. Existing staff and budgets are inadequate. 5. The US needs to stop rewarding illegal immigration by having amnesty programs. These encourage aliens to come here and "lay low" until the next program comes along that will give them the immigration status they want. Right now there are millions of illegal aliens within our borders and the sheer numbers prevent INS from being effective. The agency doesn't have the resources to deal with a problem of that size. Fewer incoming and more deportation rather than amnesty programs will help reduce the size of the illegal population. Ramzi Yusoff, the '93 WTC bomber, was a beneficiary of an amnesty program. 6. There is a problem now that the INS is divided into "benefits" and "enforcement" branches. The INS staff that works on benefits granting needs all the interaction and support it now receives from the enforcement side to screen and detect criminal and terrorist aliens trying to get green cards or become naturalized citizens or go to school here, etc. All aliens need to be screened every step of the way. You can't separate benefits screening from enforcement and not have dangerous people slip through. 7.We should encourage the passage of laws that DO require an alien to show legal status for a variety of privileges in the US. The INS should not be the only agency that is permitted to regularly challenge alien status. New laws should encompass proof of legal status for such privileges as drivers licenses, bank accounts and health care.

8.We need to change the mentality that the US welcomes all foreigners with open arms. Security of our citizens should come first and foremost. All foreign travelers to the US should expect extreme security measures will be applied to them. Thank you for your kind attention. Beverly Eckert STOP MORE SPAM with the new MSN 8 and get 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail End forwarded message

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