A Note from the Editors:

Here we go again. The Department of Justice announced on Monday, December 16, 2002 that Armenians would be subject to Special Registration along with Saudis and Pakistanis, only to withdraw Armenia from this unholy list on Wednesday, December 18, 2002.

Why did this sudden about-face happen? Writing in the Los Angeles Times, columnist Steve Lopez says "It was all a mistake ... Or maybe it wasn't a mistake. I can't tell, and the really frightening thing is that the Justice Department can't seem to tell either." Why was Armenia put on the list in the first place? Mr. Lopez continues "This might be a simple case of someone in the Bush administration having flunked geography, and thinking Armenia was a suburb of Tehran. Other possible explanations? This was a wink and a nod to Turkey, a strategic ally that has a long history of conflict with Armenia. Or some mid-level weasel decided it would look bad to have only one other non-Muslim nation -- besides North Korea -- on the list."

Be the causes as they may, it appears unlikely that any terrorists would hasten to register. Instead what appears to be happening is a round-up of immigrants, many of whom have pending adjustment applications, but are currently out of status. The unintended effect of such a round-up will likely be that the government will lose in its Special Registration initiative as more and more immigrants find out that attempting to comply with the requirement is a one-way ticket to deportation. The immigrants who decide not to register will also lose in that they will likely have to abandon their applications for permanent residency and join the gray underground where millions of undocumented immigrants toil in obscurity. This looks like a lose-lose situation for all parties involved.

What's next? If the DOJ's Special Registration program continues down its present course toward a quagmire, it is likely that the cries alleging discrimination against Muslims and those of Arab origin will be heard at the Department of Justice. What will likely follow is Special Registration for everybody, all nationals from everywhere around the globe. When and if that happens, we will be only a short step away from Special Registration for all Americans and becoming a Nazi state.

We welcome readers to send their comments to weeklyeditor@ilw.com.

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DREAM Act Would Not Let Potential Go To Waste
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Mandatory NIV Interviews In London
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Punishing Children For Sins Of Parents Is Un-American
Writing in the Arizona Republic, a columnist says "let me suggest to Virginia's governor that he doesn't really need a task force to tell him that punishing children for the sins of the parents is un-American. It's probably even un-Virginian."

Start of Special Registration has Disturbing Echoes of Past National Origin Dragnets
Carl R. Baldwin writes about the special registration requirements and said, "The bitter irony is that the program is designed to trap terrorists, yet common sense tells us that a real terrorist would not dream of doing anything so law-abiding as complying with a government requirement."

More Immigrants Serve In Military
The Star-Telegram of Dallas-Fort Worth reports "More and more legal immigrants are serving in the military. Some were compelled to enlist by patriotism for their adopted homeland. Others are using the military to help pay for their education or meet career goals."

Police Chiefs Support Drivers Licenses For Undocumented
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Jose Latour writes about the newly formed Department of Homeland Security.

INS Rounds Up Law Abiding Immigrants In Mistaken Drive Against Terrorists
Reporting on the round-up of immigrants who came to register with the INS, Yahoo news quotes a protester "Terrorists most likely wouldn't come to the INS to register."

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ILW Highlights

ILW.COM Discussion Board

"I am eligible to apply for naturalization within the next three weeks. Could anyone please help me understand the questions in part 10 of N-400? Question number 18 asks: "Have you EVER been convicted of a crime or offense?". Do "convictions" for TRAFFIC violations need to be declared in response to the above cited question? I had been "convicted" for moving violations like not wearing seatbelt and running red lights. The instructions that accompany N-400 do not give any indication whether traffic penalties are exceptions. What should I do? Thanks for your advice!"

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Letters to Editors

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Dear Editor,

I am sick and tired of your drumbeat of criticism of this nation and its immigration policy. The immigration laws are not enforced anywhere nearly as stringently as they should be. All you do is complain about people being treated much more leniently for breaking American law than they would be treated in the countries they come from. I am taking the Florida Bar exam this February and plan to be an immigration attorney. I hope to bring to the profession reason and justice, not carping and whining and advocacy of criminal behavior. Cancel my subscription.

Robert Speirs

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Dear Editor,

I am a US Citizen and in March of 2001 my husband and I sent the papers into INS for his Authorization of Employment and his Permanent Residence. In July of 2001 we received a Letter of Denial due to a prior deportation he had from 1997. In August of 2001 we got a lawyer so that she could reapply for the Employment of Authorization which was approved in November of 2001 and my husband received. in July of 2002 we received a Letter of Approval for the Petition for Residency. On November 19, 2002 my husband and I went into the INS to renew his Authorization of Employment, which had not expired yet, and was detained to be deported right there and then. The director advised us that my husband had no rights to a lawyer, a hearing, a bond or any other option. The director of the INS advised me that they had made a mistake and that he should have never have had received his Employment of Authorization Card. I asked him why that was and he said that because he had a prior deportation. The director advised me that INS had sent us a Letter of Denial because of his prior deportation he had in 1997. I told him that we did receive that letter and that was why we got a lawyer to take our case and reapply for the Employment of Authorization Card. Our lawyer could not do anything for his case. My husband went to the Consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico and they advised him that they did not know why they had deported him and sent him there is all the paper work was processed here in the United States.

My husband is now in Mexico and I am 7 months pregnant and don't know what to do now. He was the sole provider of our household and I have no family support. Who, how and where do I go to now? This whole situation has caused me a tremendous amount of stress and that is not good at all in my conditions. Don't I have a right as a US Citizen to have my husband here with me? Please give me advise on what I can do regarding our situation.

Elisa Martinez

Dear Editor,

Every time I read the colum, I find I'm enjoing it more; thank you for presenting the issues as they are, no strings attached. I work at a Crisis telephone line and I can tell you what we heard on the phones is very sad; stories about undocumented immigrants being scared and hopeless, etc.

Thank you again for all the valuable information (I am originally from Argentina and I have relatives living here going through a very difficult situation).

Trudy Krasovic
Media Coordinator- Switchboard of Miami Crisis Line

Dear Editor,

Your notes in the Immigration Weekly dated Dec 16 regarding atrocities meted out to "illegal" pregnant women immigrants in the name of national security by the government officials in the US makes a very sad reading.

Most of the third world countries have practiced and some of them still practice senseless violence and cruelty against their women folks in the name of religion, culture, tradition, chastity etc. India for instance is known for burning widows along with their dead husbands on the holy pyres. The practice is continuing even now in remote backward regions inspie of the laws to the contrary. The women in some countries in Africa are traditionally mutilated in their private parts in the name of sexual purity. The cruel treatment and social restrictions officially imposed on Afghan women under the barbaric Taliban is still fresh in the memories of the civilised world.

It was during the years of colonialism that the countries in Asia, Africa and the south America were exposed to Industrial revolution, religious toleramce, democratic principles, Human rights, Political equality, scientific thinking etc.etc. Whatever be the history of loot and plunder by the European colonists in the erstwhile colonies, what is important in today's context is that the third world countries are less barbaric and more civilised today. But it looks the trend is reversing now. The religious fanaticism and fundamentalism is spreading from the third world countries to the Western nations, including the US. Growing Number of instances of violence against the Indians, particularly the Sikhs after 9/11in the US is indication of barbarism spreading from the third world to the Western countries based on prejudices and mistaken identities. Even the Immigration Officers of the US government manning the ports of entry have become particularly harsh and meddlesome against "brown" businessmen visiting the US on their business with valid visas. Even Mr. Hasim Premji, the CEO of Wipro, India's leading IT company, and only two years ago counted as the second richest man in the world, second to Bill Gates ( during the peak of the bull run on the NASDAQ ), was recently harassed at an US port of entry by the immigration officers only because of his brown skin and his first name.It seems a new kind of "apartheid" is taking roots in the US now, when the prejudicial white-black behaviour has become a matter of history.

Sir, the instance of barbaric treatment of the immigrant woman by the US authority commented by you is one more instance of the evil now invading the civilised US. The USA has become a beacon of light and hope to freedom loving minorities in the third world countries who do not know how to fight their autocratic governments. Do not let them down. Do not destroy their hopes and aspirations. Do not allow the barbarism of the third world to spread in the US. The words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller quoted by you are very apt. It is sincerely hoped that the powers that be in the US take cognizance of the wisdom behind these words and curb and crush this new evil of cruelty and violence before it digs its roots.

Sameer Kumar
Bombay, India

Dear Editor,

I am writing because of the frightening things that I have seen the State Department do in the United States Embassy in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. In the first place, there is much discrimiantion at the Embassy, and while there is a high fraud rate at the post, mostly all immigrants and sponsors are treated discourteously and embarrased by the attitude of the officers. The situation with visa refusals should be taken straight to the Offices of the Inspector General, as so many irregularities are occuring at this post. I wonder if there are people out there who can relate to the situation. For example, many people who have legitimate co-sponsors with legitimate incomes are constantly refused Immigrant visas for their relatives, although they have a qualifying sponsor who meets the Minimum income guidelines established by the Affidavit of Support I-864. It is a disgrace that the United States has let this sort of discrimination occur. I would like to see the General Consul Mary Marshall address this issue. Right now this post has over 12,000 cases are backlogged due to the fact that they have been continually refused. This is a shameful situation which needs serious addressing to. I hope that there is a general complaint made to the Embassy in order to see if anything happens, becuase they must do something to address the thousands of cases that are there in limbo still waiting to be adjudicated. The situation has gotten so bad that the Embassy is refusing Documents in priorly refused cases and the process is for the petitioner to write a letter stating that he(she) has all of the documents ready and that according to I-864 Guidelines, they now qualify for an Immigrant Visa for their beneficiary and that they request a new appointment. They have not even addressed this to the general public, which has created more chaos becuase they have left all of their backlogged cases just in the air with no decision only to have the few people who call the Embassy (1-809-221-7370) for status information and then they are advised of this process.

Name not provided

Dear Editor,

Thanks for letting us know what is going on. Please register my name as being horror stricken about this behavior. Why can't we just take them back to the border and say, "do it legally" and let her at least keep some decency. This is ridiculous. I know some women prisoners may try to use the birth of their own child to smuggle contriband, etc.back into jail, but the jailers probably do worse. Here we are demanding worldwide the humane treatment of all peoples and do this to women here within our own borders. Why?? The means must be consistent with the ends. Who is in charge here? It is a dangerous time to be alive. Just for the record, I am a white woman who has European ancestors. What have my people become??? I do not want Nazi Germany in my hometown. What, oh what can we do??? Is anyone listening in Washington?

April Milligan

Dear Editor,

As a mother I was outraged by this story, when I read it. My daughter was airlifted 12 hours after her birth because of a lung complication. I was only able to see her right after she was born. Then I saw her when she was three days old. She was airlifted to Chicago (about 11/2 hr. away). So, I can imagine just a little bit how painful it is to be separated from your newborn child, but to be abused by authorities as well - this really outraged me. All in the name of "national security". How can these people at the INS have a conscience??? I wonder...

Hispanic Ministry
Diocese of Joliet @ Catholic Charities

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