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| Time to get serious about those who overstay visas |
| 2009-09-04 |
| In 1996, Congress decided that it needed a way to track people who overstay their visas — a huge and understated part of the nation's illegal immigration problem. So it authorized a program to verify that visa holders who arrived in the country eventually left it. Five years later, on 9/11, terrorists tragically confirmed that program's failure by flying hijacked airplanes into buildings. Two of the 19 hijackers had overstayed visas. In the years that followed, the newly created Department of Homeland Security initiated what it called the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology program (or US-VISIT for short) with much fanfare. But here we are in 2009, still without an effective entry-and-exit monitoring program. US-VISIT has enhanced the entry process, with a series of biometric authentications matching the person issued a visa abroad with the person standing at a passport counter. But when that person leaves the country, no such process takes place. After studying the issue, and creating a few pilot programs, the Bush administration decided essentially to punt. Too much cost, too little benefit, it reasoned. The Obama administration is expected to announce its own policies in coming weeks. Don't expect much this time, either. The forces arrayed against the idea — budget pressures, the inevitable inconvenience to travelers, difficulties with airport design — promote procrastination. That is a problem, both for national security and for controlling immigration. It serves as a kind of advertisement to people the world over that if they can just get into the country they can stay as long as they want, outside the law, without much hassle. Either our government cares about its laws or it doesn't. Despite the costs, following through with this program is vital to sending a message that the U.S. is resolute in policing its borders, appropriately monitoring its visitors and protecting its people. For decades, the nation's immigration laws were simply not enforced. Now there's ample pressure to tighten up, but it is overwhelmingly directed at Hispanics crossing the southern border. If one focuses on the numbers, not the language and complexion of the illegal immigrants, that shouldn't be the case. Overstayers are believed to make up about a third of the total population of illegal immigrants, which is thought to be somewhere around 12 million. To be sure, the issues delaying this program are daunting. Thousands of people would have to be hired. And many airports would have to be modified to create departure areas with passport counters. Neither the Transportation Security Administration nor the airline industry wants to be saddled with running the program. The travel industry is suspicious that government could do it without creating more hassles for legitimate tourists and business travelers. And some in the national security community shrug off the issue, saying they have alternative, though inferior, tracking methods such as airline passenger manifests and returned port-of-entry forms. These are all legitimate, pragmatic concerns that explain why this program has been so slow to get off the ground. But they should not be allowed to undermine the principle that the law should have meaning. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #10 Don't need bracelets or any other crazy tech. Other countries keep track of who's going and coming with no trouble. With 70s paper technology, even. In Japan, if you overstay, the cops show up at your registered domicile within a few days to check what happened. You can dodge them, but they'll be looking for you. Eventually people get tired of overstaying and go home. I knew one Kenyan girl who was there for 5 years on a 30 day visa, and she was packing up getting ready to go home. |
| Posted by: gromky 2009-09-04 22:02 |
| #9 I keep saying that there is no such thing as an 'Illegal Immigrant'. Immigrants are, by definition, legal and the 'immigrant' status is granted to them by the government (Homeland inSecurity in this case). These are ILLEGAL ALIENS. We need to stop mixing these people up with legal immigrants (who we *want* to come here). It confuses the issue (intentionally by advocates) and insults those who have waited patiently for their chance to enter legally. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-09-04 20:38 |
| #8 BP, non-citizens do have certain legal rights, regardless of whether they are here with permission or not. But the enforcement of visas and tossing out anyone who overstays their welcome is a pathetic joke, mainly due to the loud braying of the PC "immigrant advocates" (who strangely enough never want to do a damn thing to help ones who are here legally and doing what they can to comply with the law. Go figure.) |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2009-09-04 19:15 |
| #7 I once had a coworker who bragged about her mother (here illegally) getting twice weekly home health care paid for by U.S. taxpayers. Congress doesn't give a shit who's here - whatever way they came. |
| Posted by: Woozle Uneter9007 2009-09-04 16:58 |
| #6 every day overstaying your visa == one day in jail. |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-09-04 16:47 |
| #5 Visas are required to come in and have a deadline issued at the time. They could be required to check in when they leave and any violation should trigger an arrest warrant, much like unpaid fines or parole violations do. Law enforcement has that down pretty well--my sister sat overnight in the clink with a bunch of drunks and hos for a forgotten speeding ticket. |
| Posted by: Lumpy Elmoluck5091 2009-09-04 16:44 |
| #4 bracelets can be embarrassing. A chip under the skin like we do to our pets would be better. The chips tend to move, making them harder to remove. Just kidding. I think simply taking the problem seriously for a change would be a step in the right direction. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2009-09-04 16:07 |
| #3 BP, they have the liberty not to come - and if I had to be subjected to this kind of treatment in order to visit another country I do believe I would exercise that liberty and not go. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-09-04 14:23 |
| #2 Do non-citizens have zero liberties? |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2009-09-04 13:21 |
| #1 How about a radio repeater brcelet that signals if cut off, and responds to any signal with a simple signal (This is 123456789) you could put "Beepers" In every airport, train station every passport office and border, the bracelet sends a squeak (HERE I AM)12356789, if cut off and a computer then sends the nearest squad car wirh a physical description to the Electronic Screech point Those of you who just took a deep breath to scream CIVIL LIBERTIES Must remember they're NOT CITIZENS. |
| Posted by: Redneck Jim 2009-09-04 12:58 |