"WASHINGTON (AP) — Dozens of Pakistani immigrants who came to the United States posing as religious workers were arrested Wednesday, authorities said, as Homeland Security agents tried to close a commonly exploited avenue for illegal immigration.
Immigrants who were supposed to be teaching or conducting religious ceremonies were arrested across the East Coast, where authorities said many worked as gas station attendants, taxi drivers, landscapers and factory workers.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials have been scrutinizing the religious worker visa program, which a 2005 review found was rife with problems. Homeland Security officials found fraud in one of every three religious visas they reviewed."
I hadn't heard of that one before.
Had you?
2006-11-15 13:37:41 · 3 answers · asked by DAR 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
economiss, yeah, but one out of three?
2006-11-15 13:45:19 · update #1
I think that is the imposter of Alberto, since the real ones' insults are usually more entertaining.
2006-11-16 14:04:37 · update #2
I had not heard of that before either, although it does make sense. I wonder if it requires a type of religious persecution in their home country or if it is just for them to be missionaries here like Americans are when they go to other countries.
One in three really does show the flaw in the system or that someone didn't do their job right. Someone else should be held accountable, but unfortunately no one probably will....
I do have to say I was happy to see they are cracking down on something - now if they'd come over here to the WEST coast and do something about illegal immigration.
2006-11-15 14:03:52 · answer #1 · answered by grim reaper 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Of course. All kinds of visas will always be abused to a certain degree. Asylum visas, students visas, work visas, diplomatic visas. They need to get into the US however they can, and getting a religious visa is probably easier than the other visas.
Additional Post:
It's a shocking number, but consider the fact that religious visas issued are lesser than the other visas, and it's easier, the government has only started cranking up their monitoring on religous visa, that's why they've been abused for a long time and the number is very high.
2006-11-15 13:42:07 · answer #2 · answered by economiss 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It's really not surprising to me...
2006-11-15 13:48:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋