NumbersUSA Urges Senate to Reject Proposals forAmnesty and Doubling of Legal Immigration

ICE and former USCIS official confirm inability of immigration agencies to combat fraud and national security threats

(WASHINGTON , DC)  Today, the U.S. Senate failed to end debate on immigration legislation that would grant amnesty to the more than 11 million illegal aliens currently present in the United States, and more than double legal immigration. The Senate is considering these proposals in the wake of a press conference by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) acknowledging rampant fraud in immigration applications, and one day after former Director of Office of Security and Investigations at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Michael Maxwell testified before the Subcommittee on International Terrorism and Nonproliferation of the House International Relations Committee on the serious immigration national security vulnerabilities facing the United States.

If the Senate believes that the American public supports any of the proposals for drastic increases in legal immigration and amnesty no matter how they want to label it - they need to use the Easter break to go home and listen to what their constituents really want, said NumbersUSA Executive Director, Roy Beck. Polling has consistently shown that Americans oppose any form of amnesty and higher levels of immigration to the United States.

Mr. Maxwells testimony yesterday included examples of ongoing fraud, incentives (including cash, time off, and movie tickets) to rapidly process applications at the expense of national security, obstruction of the hiring of additional law enforcement personnel, and suspected spies from countries of interest working for and through USCIS.

These breaches compromise virtually every part of the immigration system, leaving vulnerabilities that that have been and likely are being exploited by enemies of the United States, said Maxwell. [Documents delivered to Congress] make clear that the integrity of the United States immigration system has been corrupted and system is incapable of ensuring the security of the United States.

In his testimony, Maxwell revealed that the Director of USCIS, Dr. Emilio Gonzalez had mentioned in an open and unclassified meeting that two foreign intelligence operatives are currently employed by USCIS. Additionally, Maxwell discussed an Iraqi-born U.S. citizen, and suspected foreign operative, who was approving asylum applications. The Subcommittee is expected to meet in closed session to obtain further details about these serious allegations.

Mr. Maxwells testimony and ICEs own acknowledgement of the fraud plaguing the system further confirms that USCIS is simply incapable of processing the applications they currently receive, much less the tens of millions more from the Senate-proposed amnesty, guest worker programs, and doubling of legal immigration, said Beck. The Senate and the Administration needs to wake up to the fact that the priorities in immigration reform are to enforce our laws and overhaul the immigration bureaucracy.

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