Immigration Officers Blast Border Bill: ‘A Global Joke;’ ‘Where Is the Outrage?’

1/23/2015
Craig Bannister

“We admit individuals who have no business being admitted,” the head of the immigration officers’ union said today, blasting both Pres. Obama’s amnesty and the new border bill.

Kenneth Palinkas, President of the National Citizenship and Immigration Services Council representing 12,000 United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) adjudicators and personnel, says the immigration legislation scheduled to be considered by the House of Representatives next week puts officers’ mission “in grave peril.”

“Where is the outrage from Congress?,” he asks.  “After the House passed its legislation to reverse the amnesty, all I hear is silence in the Senate.  It seems Congressional leaders will not rise to defend the laws of the United States, but are giving in to the ‘imperial presidency,’ Palinkas says.

The new “border security” bill is “a global joke,” Palinkas says:

“H.R. 399 – Chairman McCaul’s legislation – does nothing to preclude anyone in the world from turning themselves in at the US border and obtaining automatic entry and federal benefits.  Almost anyone at all can call themselves an asylum-seeker and get in; it’s a global joke.”

“It’s not border security if anyone can recite the magic words and get waved right on in.  Those who arrived in the 2014 border run are still here, often living on US support and even applying for US jobs.  The bill also delays by years the implementation of biometric exit-entry to police the rising overstay catastrophe.”

The full statement by Palinkas is below:

“The dedicated immigration service officers and adjudicators at USCIS are in desperate need of help.  The President’s executive amnesty order for 5 million illegal immigrants places the mission of USCIS in grave peril.  Instead of meeting our lawful function to protect the Homeland and keep out those who pose a threat to US security, health, or finances, our officers will be assigned to process amnesty for individuals residing illegally inside our nation’s borders.  This compromises national security and public safety, while undermining officer morale.

The Administration’s skewed priorities mean that the Crystal City amnesty processng center will likely have superior worksite conditions for personnel relative to our normal processing centers.  Additionally, the security protocols at place in this facility will be insufficient to engage in any basic screening precautions, ensuring and rewarding massive amounts of fraud.  For the Administration to continue down this course after the Paris attacks is beyond belief.

Yet where is the outrage from Congress?  After the House passed its legislation to reverse the amnesty, all I hear is silence in the Senate.  It seems Congressional leaders will not rise to defend the laws of the United States, but are giving in to the ‘imperial presidency.’

I also remain concerned by the fact that needed USCIS reforms are not included in pending legislation.  For instance, H.R. 399 – Chairman McCaul’s legislation – does nothing to preclude anyone in the world from turning themselves in at the US border and obtaining automatic entry and federal benefits.  Almost anyone at all can call themselves an asylum-seeker and get in; it’s a global joke.  It’s not border security if anyone can recite the magic words and get waved right on in.  Those who arrived in the 2014 border run are still here, often living on US support and even applying for US jobs.  The bill also delays by years the implementation of biometric exit-entry to police the rising overstay catastrophe.

We process millions upon millions of applications every year for lifetime immigrant green cards, refugee admissions, asylum-seekers, temporary workers, visitors, tourists, and more – but we do so without any of the resources or mission support we need to screen these individuals properly, let alone to conduct in-person interviews.  We admit individuals who have no business being admitted the United States, whether public charges, health risks, or radicalized Islamists, and in large numbers.  It is unfair to employees, unfair to taxpayers, and unfair to anyone concerned about immigration security.

We are saying to Congress: help us.  Provide us the tools, mission support and resources we need to protect the Homeland, in accord with the laws and Constitution of the United States.”

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