DHS skips FBI background checks for immigrants seeking residency
posted at 1:03 pm on February 11, 2008 by Bryan
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I’m all for clearing backlogs. I’m not for this as the way to do it.
In a major policy shift aimed at reducing a ballooning immigration backlog, the Homeland Security Department is preparing to grant permanent residency to tens of thousands of applicants before the FBI completes a required background check.
Those eligible are immigrants whose fingerprints have cleared the FBI database of criminal convictions and arrests, but whose names have not yet cleared the FBI’s criminal or intelligence files after six months of waiting.
The immigrants who are granted permanent status, more commonly known as getting their green cards, will be expected eventually to clear the FBI’s name check. If they don’t, their legal status will be revoked and they’ll be deported.
Yeah, if the Department of Homeland Security can even find them. And that’s supposing that once found, DHS officials won’t just expedite them through to rack up bonus points. DHSniks like Michael Chertoff have some nerve, on the one hand smearing border security advocates as nascent immigrant-executers while DHS allows who knows how many potential problem resident aliens to skip ahead in the process.
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but according to the “not amnesty amnesty” bill that can be done within 24 hours right….
CaptainObvious on February 11, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Im trying to recall but Hasnt Congress been pressing the Administration hard on Immigration ? In fact I think Chucky Schumer has ordered INS to speed up the backlog so more new immigrants can vote in the november election.
Someone slap Guiliani for giving us Chertoff.
BTW is THIS sobering news that Whites will be a minority in the US by 2050 (thankfully I will be in my late 80s by then.)
William Amos on February 11, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Gee, what could go wrong?
CP on February 11, 2008 at 1:15 PM
Doesn’t the FBI employ any computer geeks who could wrap this up in about 15 minutes?
fogw on February 11, 2008 at 1:16 PM
Incredible.
normsrevenge on February 11, 2008 at 1:17 PM
Yeah, we still remember that Chertoff. You were, in fact, correct in a sense. It’s just that it’s your head we’d like to see roll. You know, figuratively speaking. Just like you were!
TexasDan on February 11, 2008 at 1:17 PM
Well considering the Mob and Al qaeda and Chinese spies its not like the FBI doesnt have alot on its plate.
Is also democrats who would scream racism at having the FBI check out “Citisens”
William Amos on February 11, 2008 at 1:18 PM
They’re not citizens though, so how could they vote?
Biffstir on February 11, 2008 at 1:20 PM
Chertoff is a disgrace. He warns about “earth-shattering evernts” while his agency opens the gates to God-know who. I’m not sure that Chertoff knows the meaning of Homeland or Security.
Vote Sauron 08 on February 11, 2008 at 1:20 PM
The whole reason to speed up their background checks is to speed up their citisenship. Schumer blantantly said he wants them to be voters by November.
William Amos on February 11, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Surely you jest.
a capella on February 11, 2008 at 1:24 PM
Don’t worry. They’ll be euthanizing us geezers by then.
davidk on February 11, 2008 at 1:26 PM
How about we clear the backlog by denying entry into the country, or is it just me? Everyone seems to be for legal immigration, but I agree with Tancredo. Can someone explain to me why we need to import people into this country? I can understand a few brilliant minds, but what’s with the “thousands”? I don’t get it.
orlandocajun on February 11, 2008 at 1:34 PM
The whole reason to speed up their background checks is to speed up their citisenship. Schumer blantantly said he wants them to be voters by November.
William Amos on February 11, 2008 at 1:23 PM
sweeper on February 11, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Screwed up those quotes
sweeper on February 11, 2008 at 1:35 PM
Shiney! ROTF……yep…just before that that flash.
Limerick on February 11, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Hint: Look to the top for the “guidance” that led to the policy change.
My feeling is that this is yet another Jorge Boosh end-run around laws he doesn’t like.
In the meantime, Ramos and Compean remain in prison.
MrScribbler on February 11, 2008 at 1:41 PM
A little planning, organization and efficiency goes a long way. Works well in the business world, but CEOs have goals to achieve and deadlines to meet that in the end impact there company’s survival and profitability.
Not so in the bureacracy that is the FBI.
fogw on February 11, 2008 at 1:43 PM
Typical government bureaucratic response:
Demand government’s exclusive right to deal with a problem, but then if it’s hard:
1. Fail to deal with it.
2. Blame the failure on ordinary citizens.
3. Tell ordinary citizens that they are the ones who need to change their ways (in order to accommodate and accept the government’s failure).
We have examples of this same bureaucratic responsibility abdication syndrome in energy, trash disposal, water supply, and thousands of other government programs.
landlines on February 11, 2008 at 1:45 PM
I keep hearing the Guinness advert
Bejabbers, we’ll clear de backlog by declarin’ dey all be legal – BRILLIANT!
LimeyGeek on February 11, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Say goodbye to America – courtesy of pandering politicians and a public school system that refuses to … oh, what is the use?
Onager on February 11, 2008 at 1:48 PM
oops…sorry, I contributed to this trend by having non-white kids.
tlynch001 on February 11, 2008 at 2:08 PM
LOL well Its just saying that Minorities will be lager than the the majority. In fact it says that Blacks will fall to the 4th behind whites, Hispanics and Asians. In about 25 years even Barak might not get elected.
William Amos on February 11, 2008 at 2:11 PM
I know I’m stupid. I know I’m stupid for thinking the US Government has any common sense. I am actually shocked that we haven’t launched our nuclear stockpile on ourselves. I mean, how hard could it be? If we can’t even have the sense to have background checks DONE before we give people permamanent status, why check it at all?
We are so screwed. Our founding fathers would start another war of they saw how our Government governs itself and us.
Geronimo on February 11, 2008 at 2:13 PM
It might even be interesting to see if the new majorities find ways to ignore the constitution and philosphical core of America – just like slave-owners and segregationists did.
Maybe a mighty Asian majority would pass law requiring a math test before being eligible to vote? Actually, that sounds pretty good. Hmmm.
LimeyGeek on February 11, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Whites will still be a plurality and have all the money, so not much will change.
tlynch001 on February 11, 2008 at 2:20 PM
“Rome is burning” while Chertoff and our inimitable l-a-a-a-w-w-w-makers play the fiddle….
ultracon on February 11, 2008 at 2:20 PM
What worthless government trough sloppers. They get paid to do a simple job and I don’t give a $hit what their personal beliefs are. Just do your stinking job and shut up you worthless shmucks.
You might have to get a real job some day.
saiga on February 11, 2008 at 2:20 PM
Nothing will change, as long as this loser attitude persists.
There is no ‘pie’ of money being horded by whitey. Make your own money and quit whining. Your fortune is in your hands alone.
LimeyGeek on February 11, 2008 at 2:26 PM
Well it isn’t like we didn’t expect it. We all knew that McCain’s ShAmnesty was only a battle in the war and they would open those borders one way or another. Their corporate masters and Ted Kennedy demand it. I suppose we could demand Chertoff’s resignation for gross incompetence but the way things are going in Washington DC is there anyone there that isn’t incompetent now? See folks, this is what you get when you get coerced into voting for Presidents who you know are way too liberal for your views. McCain will be much much worse on the open borders corporate slave labor stuff than Bush is and Bush is plenty bad.
Buzzy on February 11, 2008 at 2:35 PM
I am not seeing what is wrong with a backlog… Maybe we need a slow down so that there is some assimilation so we don’t wind up like the euro trash countries with large gangs of un-assimilated youths burning our cars.
rgranger on February 11, 2008 at 2:41 PM
I can’t stand the guy!When the amnesty bill was being pushed on us and we pushed back I thought the guy had some nerve saying something to the effect that some of the American people would not be happy with anything less than execution of the illegals. What a prick!
kcd on February 11, 2008 at 2:51 PM
One of the featured stories (Washington Times) on HotAir’s homepage is about the arrests of Chinese spies. At least one was a naturalized citizen that had worked for Boeing. Remind me again how closely people working in sensitive areas are investigated?
Americans rely on our military to keep us safe at home, while we sleepwalk through a minefield at home.
24K lady on February 11, 2008 at 2:53 PM
I remember that asshole saying words to this effect. My TV is very glad I was not armed at the time or I would have shot the image of his smarmy F’ing face.
LimeyGeek on February 11, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Stuck on Stupid
ej_pez on February 11, 2008 at 3:31 PM
a capella…I wasn’t jesting.
H/tip to amos for the clarification: just cuz you get a green card doesn’t mean you get a vote. But if Chucky S thinks it’ll help the dimwit’s cause, I can see why they’d push the DHS to pop the Ex-Lax asap and get that back-log cleared, so to speak.
Biffstir on February 11, 2008 at 6:09 PM
Man, I was born in the US, have had a Secret security clearance since 1975, have had five passports (two civilian and three official government) and I STILL have to get a new background check every ten years. These unknowns just get to waltz in and say howdy, where’s my Z? Gimme a break.
Big John on February 11, 2008 at 8:49 PM
Damn, where do I sign my wife up for this? We are off tomorrow to get her biometrics for the 3rd time since she arrived. We have also had 2 interviews.
cacchip on February 11, 2008 at 9:11 PM
And to think, only 30 years ago it took a year to get my wife, Korean, background check completed so we could be authorized to marry. Seven years later, according to the rules, she obtained Naturalization and she is not bitter of having to wait.
But, she resents having new ingrates (oops immigrants) have a magic wand waved around the air, it does not even have to touch them, and ZAP their legal eagles.
MSGTAS on February 12, 2008 at 8:17 AM
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