I have two close friends, for the sake of argument, I will call them A and B. A is a US Citizen and B is here illegally. B has been here since he was a child, he tried to get his papers but was unable and was ordered to leave the country. Needless to say, he is still here.
Recently I have discovered that A helped B get a US passport under his name. All the information on the passport is A's but has B's picture on it. My question is twofold:
1. Personally I have no problem with B being in the US, even illegally. Now they have commited a crime and I am aware of it, what should I do?
2. How were they able to do it? A is caucasion and B is Hispanic; they look nothing alike. Does the passport agency not check anything before they issue them? I would have thought that somehow they verify the picture, though I do not know how?
2007-09-11 03:46:00 · 15 answers · asked by Markin 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Immigration
Amazing how such things can happen even in the USA. I would think that the passport isn't genuine tho..... of course they would have checked if the personal IDs of the hispanic guy matched the data from the A guy..... and I can't see that happening.
Anyhow, it's good to have a moral bu I wouldn't act on it, this is none of your business, so I'd just let it be.... if they're meant to be busted, they will, believe me. Sooner or later the truth comes out.
2007-09-11 03:56:28 · answer #1 · answered by Lprod 6 · 0⤊ 5⤋
This is the common problem with this whole illegal immigrant issue. Since their status is illegal anyway, they just decide to go ahead and break every other law on the planet.
You can report it to immigration, homeland security, and or the State department. But if you are worried, about having the knowledge, dont be. They could care less. You can stand in front of a Home Depot and take pictures all day long. You can call Immigration to report stuff, and they will not respond.
Faking a passport I would imagine is a pretty serious violation. But what are you going to do about it?
Let me give you some advice? Most of the worlds economy and robust activity during these great times are based off three things only.
1. Crime / Criminal Activity
2. Counterfiting
3. Credit
There are millions of millionares now running around the world. Most of them are hard core criminals. Im sure you're shocked at what your friends have done, but dont worry, they will get what they deserve one day.
P.S. I wonder what will happen if your Friend B gets arrested like for a DUI or accidently hurts somebody or gets sued, what happens to Friend A, then?
2007-09-11 11:07:33 · answer #2 · answered by GeeMoney$ 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You do have a strange dilemma.
Think this through, though. You didn't care that B was here illegally at first, but now he and A have both committed a crime.
Obtaining a passport under a false identity is a federal crime.
If they were ver caught by the FBI or Homeland Security, you might be questioned as a friend of theirs and asked if you knew what they had done.
How could you knowingly lie to the FBI at that point?
You could do one of two things:
A] Write an anyonymous letter to the FBI or Homeland Security saying that you suspect the passport was false.
or:
B] Do nothing. In which case you would always have this on your mind that you didn't report a federal crime.
It sounds like you are a very morally sound and mature person. So do the right thing.
Good luck.
Remember: You can always do this anonymously.
I know it's hard, but do the right thing.
Good luck.
2007-09-11 11:01:59 · answer #3 · answered by vgordon_90 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
passports, drivers licenses , are bought and sold every day of the week. do you really think your government is honest ? i have more of a problem with the corruption in government than i do with the illegal immigrant. although i do not think that its right to be here illegally. they need to follow the legal process. i'm sure though that there are people who can afford to get through the proper process sooner / easier than people that dont' have money.
the passport agencies are also processing huge volumes and i'm sure they are making mistakes. it's just a statistic / it's impossible to do any job with one hundred percent accuracy.
it's hard to know if the mistake was made accidentally , or if they applied and tried to mislead the agency or if they bought the passport outright .
How did you come to find out about the passport ? I mean I really question if someone committed a crime as you state, that they are going to come show you the passport ? Would be pretty stupid of them to advertise it. Based on that I'd probably draw the conclusion that an error was made rather than assume a crime was committed . Not sure. Tough question. Good luck to you.
2007-09-11 11:14:28 · answer #4 · answered by Mildred S 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Since Citi bank is making some of the passports??? Your friends will be doing time when caught stealing some 1 ID is a crime but giving your ID to commit a crime is a worse crime> Since anything the illegal does with the passport will reflect on the donor>>
2007-09-11 11:18:04 · answer #5 · answered by 45 auto 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
the problem with your argument is with question 1...now they have broken a law?
First of all B being in the country was a violation of the law, but you had no problem with that. Your moral dilemma is that you have no morals because you justify your own beliefs to conform to our laws. Either it is right or it is wrong, you can't justify him being here because he has been her since a child, it is still illegal and he should be deported. So if I were you I would study up a bit more on critical thinking and ethics and see where your thinking is flawed.
question 2, if you have enough money you can always find some place that will make a passport for you...
2007-09-11 10:57:00 · answer #6 · answered by railer01 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
You certainly do have a dilemma there. You say A & B have committed one crime when in fact B has already committed a crime simply by being illegal. Now your friend "A" is helping to cover for an illegal AND helping to forge illegal documents. And now you are essentially in on the "cover up" too.
I know that there are a lot of illegals in this country earning an honest living and paying taxes etc. But our country is having eough problems with illegal immigration as it is. Your friend "B" needs to stop screwing around with the illegal crap and become legal or get out. Your friend "A" is supid for using their info to forge illegal docs and can spend jail time for it while "B" can be shipped back across the border.
You want to do something.....then get "B" to become legal in order to protect both friends.
2007-09-11 11:00:45 · answer #7 · answered by EvArtD 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is not an answer because you have to respond your own dilemma (since it's moral for you) but just wanted to add that once again HERE lies the problem with illegal immigrants, people like your friend A who sold his identity to another person. Corruption starts at home and illegals are not the only ones to blame for coming here. They find the resources tha we Americans provide >:
2007-09-11 11:14:00 · answer #8 · answered by Isabelle06 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Fuuny they are looking at a $100,000 fine and ten years in Federal prison.
This was possible if you are being honest because we have no border security at all. Homeland Secuirty is a joke all they do is harrass legal residents to create the fable that they are capable of doing anythign but masturbating in airport men's rooms with Larry Craig...
2007-09-11 13:35:44 · answer #9 · answered by spqr_us 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, first of all "Hispanics" are Caucasian. The term is usually misused in the States, but it refers to people who originate from the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) who are as white as you are. What you have in a large part of the population in Central and South America are "mestiços", a result of genetic combination between Caucasians, indigenous populations and Africans. Even so, "B" would probably be described as Caucasian, because there is no such think as an "Hispanic" race.
About your problem: you mentioned they are your "close friends", right? Then, maybe you should speak to them and help them try to find a legal solution before going to the authorities.
2007-09-11 11:01:44 · answer #10 · answered by Pedro ST 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I'd say you have a moral dilemma.
If the crime is a felony crime I say you should report it. If it's simply a misdemeanor let your conscious be your guide.
A may not look like B, but the passport agency doesn't know that.
2007-09-11 10:59:50 · answer #11 · answered by Robert S 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋