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Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 11:58:01 -0400
From: teldridge@9-11 commission.gov9
To: sginsburg@9-11 commission.gov*ff, meswope@9-11 commission.gov4P, jkephartroberts@9-11commission.govv
Subject: Fwd: Immigration reforms

Forwarded message from Beverly Eckert «(_

Date: Fri, 16 May 2003 09:35:49 -0400
From: Beverly Eckert
Reply-To: Beverly Eckert
9/11 Personal Privacy
Subject: Immigration reforms
To: teldridge@9-llcommission.gov

I'm a member of the Family Steering Committee and also a member of Peter
Gadiel's group. I was unable to attend Wednesday's meeting due to a work
scheduling conflict but I want to take this opportunity to pass along a list
of needed reforms I believe the 9/11 Commission should recomend in its
report:

1.Congress needs to change Sec 212(a)(3) of the Immigration & Nationality

Act so that entry to the US and visas are denied to suspected terrorists,
someone with terrorists ties as well as members or former members of
terrorists groups. The way the law is written, even if someone was at once
time affiliated with a terrorist group they can be admitted to the US
because the law requires the INS to have reasonable grounds to believe alien
has intent to engage in terrorist act in US. (One group who will oppose
changes in this law is the pro-Irish lobby because it will bar some IRA
members and their associates from the US.)

2. Congress needs to terminate the Visa Waiver Program which allows

nationals from 29 countries to come to US with NO visa screening.(See Sec
217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act). Under the program as it now
stands, screening by the INS first occurs at the port of entry to the US,
such as airports, seaports and land border checkpoints. There is no
pre-screening by the State Department before these aliens leave from a
foreign country (the shoe bomber was a citizen of England and no
prescreening was required, nor was a visa was required before he boarded the
plane. Such screening may have revealed his terrorist ties). Having
pre-travel screening would help the INS manage the volume they deal with at
US points of entry. (The tourist industry will fight this. Also, if this is
changed, thousands of law-abiding nationals from these countries will need
to apply for a visa, when they don't have to now. This would not be popular
with those 29 countries. No Arab country is now a beneficiary of this
program, but terrorists are citizens of many countries of the world. The
'llth hijacker' is a citizen of France).

3.Currently educational institutions are not required to ask for immigration

status of students, whether in grade school or at universities. Most states
mandate free public school education to illegals from kindergarten through
grade 12. Although this is beneficial to the children, it's a strong
incentive for illegals to try to remain here at all costs. It also draws

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Mail:: INBOX: Fwd: Immigration reforms Page 2 of 3

illegals like a magnet. Schools are only required to track aliens who come
in on specific student visas, the others are not required to register or
report their alien status to the school. There is no legal requirement to
require that post-secondary schools such as colleges and universities
determine an applicant's immigration status before accepting them for
enrollment.

4. The INS and other government agencies need better technology and they
need computer systems that interface with each other. Many agencies have
dozens of systems, written at different time periods, for different programs
and functions. These do not interface with systems even within the same
agency. Some believe that government salaries for computer technicians were
not compatible with private industry, therefore the government could not
attract and keep competent staff, The government then went to private
contractors. The contract goes to the lowest bidder and contractors are
terminated and others are hired all the time, resulting in a patchwork
systems. The INS needs a a lot of funding to upgrade their systems in order
to deal with the challenges of enforcing immigration laws. Existing staff
and budgets are inadequate.

5. The US needs to stop rewarding illegal immigration by having amnesty

programs. These encourage aliens to come here and "lay low" until the next
program comes along that will give them the immigration status they want.
Right now there are millions of illegal aliens within our borders and the
sheer numbers prevent INS from being effective. The agency doesn't have the
resources to deal with a problem of that size. Fewer incoming and more
deportation rather than amnesty programs will help reduce the size of the
illegal population. Ramzi Yusoff, the '93 WTC bomber, was a beneficiary of
an amnesty program.

6. There is a problem now that the INS is divided into "benefits" and
"enforcement" branches. The INS staff that works on benefits granting needs
all the interaction and support it now receives from the enforcement side to
screen and detect criminal and terrorist aliens trying to get green cards or
become naturalized citizens or go to school here, etc. All aliens need to be
screened every step of the way. You can't separate benefits screening from
enforcement and not have dangerous people slip through.

7.We should encourage the passage of laws that DO require an alien to show
legal status for a variety of privileges in the US. The INS should not be
the only agency that is permitted to regularly challenge alien status. New
laws should encompass proof of legal status for such privileges as drivers
licenses, bank accounts and health care.

8.We need to change the mentality that the US welcomes all foreigners with
open arms. Security of our citizens should come first and foremost. All
foreign travelers to the US should expect extreme security measures will be
applied to them.
Thank you for your kind attention.

Beverly Eckert

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