Just how corrupt has the immigration system become? Our sister site Townhall has obtained undercover video taken a couple of months ago, in which advocates for Mauritanian immigrants in Ohio claim that they have corrupt judges willing to keep illegal aliens in place ... for a price. Amy Curtis provides a full breakdown of this exclusive recording, where it also appears that these advocates are profiting off of the enterprise as well:
In exclusive footage obtained by Townhall, evidence has emerged suggesting that migrants from the West African nation of Mauritania are exploiting the U.S. immigration and asylum system in Lockland, Ohio, raising serious questions about the integrity and oversight of the process.
The footage includes allegations that some migrants are being coached on how to navigate the asylum system, encouraged to fabricate claims to meet legal thresholds, and informed — according to sources on the ground — that favorable rulings can be secured through illicit means. These claims point to systemic vulnerabilities that make the immigration system susceptible to abuse and corruption.
At the center of the operation is Patricia Golder, who, according to the footage, has turned the alleged manipulation of the asylum process into her business. Golder says she takes a portion of the pay given to the Mauritanian migrants in exchange for helping them navigate the system, and she claims she can bribe judges to rule in the migrants' favor. The footage also suggests that many of the migrants involved neither embrace nor intend to adopt core American values, even as they access public resources designed to protect legitimate asylum seekers.
Mauritania? Indeed, as one immigrant tells the undercover journalist. He got to the US by traveling through Turkey, Guatemala, and then finally Tijuana, Mexico. And it didn't come free, either; the traffickers typically demand $5,000 to get aliens into the US.
However, the traffickers aren't the only people profiting off of the trade. Golder talks about how she gets $4 an hour from everything the illegal aliens earn, in part because she's setting up fraudulent Social Security accounts to make them look legally valid for labor in the US. Golder also provides help for veterans who aren't receiving their proper level of support, but the price is steeper for that assistance:
"I fight for the veterans," she tells the reporter. "Like say a veteran come and he not getting all of his assistance, I fill out his damn paperwork and get all his assistance."
After filling out the paperwork, Golder says she takes a portion of their benefits.
"Just anything they get, me get 30," Golder says. "A third of everything to me come home."
"If they get $10,000, a third is mine," she says.
The biggest bombshell in this video, however, is Golder's claim that she has immigration judges on the payroll too. That comes up at the 17:40 mark of the video:
Golder says she visits places where judges are present.
"I make conversation with them. You say, 'I have this boy there and I need help. You work that day?'" Golder admits.
If the judge says, "Yeah," Golder says, "Okay, $50,000 I send everybody to you."
"I go to the bar like everybody drink. Spot the judge. I say, 'You work on this date?'" Golder continues. She says the judge asks for $50,000.
"The judge says that?" the reporter asks.
"He ain't scared of nothing," Golder replies. "How they live, they pay bills just like me and you. C'mon, man."
Shocking? Perhaps, but only for the boldness in talking about it. It's not really surprising to see human trafficking create this kind of corruption, assuming that this woman is telling the truth about her enterprise. Given the stakes involved, people will find ways to corrupt the system to generate more money for themselves while exploiting others. It's practically a hallmark of human trafficking. However, it does remind us that we have to remain vigilant in enforcing immigration law – and make examples of those who break it, pour encourager les autres.
Be sure to watch it all. It's not clear whether the Department of Justice and/or local law enforcement have taken up this case in the two months since the conversations in the video, but the necessity of doing so is crystal clear.
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