-Caveat Lector- For an immigration time-out: http://www.projectusa.org/ New York Sham marriage immigration loophole a health threat to Americans Issue 72: April 30, 2001 +== TIME OUT PROJECT ==+ A loophole in immigration law -- set to expire today -- has illegal immigrants lining up in the streets of Manhattan to take advantage of it. The loophole -- known as 245i -- allows an illegal alien to remain in the United States legally if he or she can find a legal sponsor -- such as a "spouse" -- and can afford to pay a fine plus lawyers' fees. The process, unsurprisingly, is racked by fraud (check out a note found posted in an East Village record store: http://projectusa.org/immigration_fraud.html ). This fraud is, to be sure, a serious problem, but there is another problem that should also be recognized. The sham marriage loophole is a health threat to American citizens. When a citizen of a foreign country immigrates legally to the United States, he or she must first undergo a rigorous screening process through the American consulate in that country. This process screens for things like a criminal or terrorist background or the presence of any infectious diseases. Our country has had this prudent policy in place for over a century, and most other countries also take this necessary precaution. However, when someone enters America illegally, this process is circumvented. Thus, because of the high rate of illegal immigration to the United States, we are witnessing outbreaks of diseases that are normally not seen here -- such as tuberculosis (TB). Dan Stein of the Federation for American Immigration Reform points out that the 245i loophole removes an important step in the enforcement of U.S. immigration law. With the loophole, illegal immigrants do not have to return to their home countries and follow the same rules as everyone else to become legal immigrants. More reading: Immigration's Impact on The Size and Growth of The Population Lacking Health Insurance http://www.cis..org/articles/2000/coverage/introduction.html U.S. Increases Screening of Immigrants for Tuberculosis, by Susan Sachs, New York Times, January 3, 2000: "Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Medical Association said recently that the key to eliminating TB in the United States is eliminating it in the foreign-born population." +== TAKE POSITIVE ACTION ==+ As long as the American government refuses to enforce simple and reasonable immigration laws and safeguards, illegal immigration will continue at its present and extremely high levels, and Americans will continue to be at aggravated health risk. But, New York Senator Hillary Clinton is co-sponsoring a bill that would actually extend the 245i loophole. We are surprised that Senator Clinton, who has often expressed her concern for the health of American children, seems to be overlooking the health threat posed to Americans by this bill. On the Senator's website, no mention is made of this threat. But we found this on the homepage: "Si usted es extranjero, puede tener derecho a solicitar status de immigrante legal sin tener que regresar a su pais de origen." (If you are a foreign national, you may be eligible to apply for legal immigrant status without returning to your home country.) We called Senator Clinton's office in Manhattan, and were told by staffer Gil (who refused to give his last name) that medical screening of those taking advantage of the loophole would be "required at a later date" when the visa came through from the sending country. But, according to Gil, these visas take years to come through and, in some cases, can take up to 23 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, TB can be communicated when an infected person coughs or sneezes near an uninfected person. (This can happen at any time during the 23 years an unscreened but infected immigrant is waiting for his or her visa to come through.) We hope Senator Clinton recognizes that the sham marriage loophole: 1) rewards illegal behavior and is therefore unacceptable, 2) is unfair to those immigrants who play by the rules and enter our country legally, and 3) is a health threat to American citizens (and their children). Senator Hillary Clinton Email: http://clinton.senate.gov/email_form.html (202) 224-4451 (212) 688-6262 +== QUOTE OF THE WEEK ==+ Manhattan's streets I saunter'd, pondering, On time, space, reality -- on such as these, and abreast with them, prudence. Walt Whitman (Leaves of Grass) +==EMAIL OF THE WEEK==+ I LIVE IN ARIZONA IN THE PHOENIX METRO AREA. WE ARE BEING OVERRUN WITH PEOPLE COMING ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN BORDER AT A RATE WHICH CANNOT EVEN BE CALCULATED. IT IS UP TO OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO GUARD OUR BORDERS AND THEY ARE FAILING MISERABLY. WE HAVE GOT TO DO SOMETHING! Dianne Valenzuela Glendale, Arizona +== E-ZINE STAFF ==+ Editor: Brenda Walker Head writer: Craig Nelsen Contributing writer: Allison Solin +== ADD OR SUBTRACT ==+ If you no longer wish to receive this publication, just email us the bad news and we will comply. Or, conversely, if you wish to include appropriate friends in the happy throng, send us their email addresses and they will be added. 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