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Hi Edgar:
I command you for your leadership on this topic.
Regards
Joe Falcao
From: edgar furtado <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Goanet] United States Congressman Crowley takes Berna Cruz issue to CAPITOL HILL
Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2003 09:45:21 -0800 (PST)
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Congressman Lloyd Doggett co-signed the letter with Cong. Crowley to Homeland Security Sec. Tom Ridge.
Dear Colleague As Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans I wanted to share with you this troubling story of a Indian-Canadian woman who was returning to Canada, via the United States and was targeted by US Customs just on the basis of her skin color.
This is an outrage and as elected officials we must communicate to the US Customs and INS that in addition to their role protecting our security they must remember they have an important role to play in customer service and promoting American ideals and values which are lacking in the treatment of Ms. Cruz.
After reading this article I drafted a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge regarding this matter. The letter requests a full investigation into these charges and that INS as well as Department of Homeland Security implement a training system to insure that what happen to Ms. Cruz does not happen again.
If you would like to sign on to the letter or have any questions please contact Gregg Sheiowitz at 5-3965 or by email at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
March 00, 2003 The Honorable Tom Ridge Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Dear Secretary Ridge:
As members of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, I would like to call your attention to an appalling case that occurred on January 27th at Chicago's O'Hare Airport and request you fully investigate this matter. Officers of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) accused Ms. Berna Cruz, a Canadian national of entering the U.S. using a fake Canadian passport.
While as Members of Congress we are highly skeptical how a trained INS official would be unable to recognize a Canadian passport, when the United States and Canada share the longest unfortified and unguarded border in the world. In addition Canada is a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement and a Member of the G-7 countries, in no way has Canada ever been considered nothing but an ally and friend of the United States. Canadian citizens are allowed to travel to the United States without visas and the Canadian government offers the same privilege to Americans. We understand the need for heightened security at U.S. border points of entry but the type of behavior displayed by the INS officers at O'Hare Airport is simply unacceptable.
After removing Ms. Cruz from the main customs area she was brought to a separate area where she was threatened with being placed in jail if she did not admit to carrying a fake passport. After pleading with the officers to allow her to contact the Canadian consulate to verify that her passport was valid, her request was refused.
Instead of verifying her passport with the Canadian consulate, Ms. Cruz has stated that the officers gave her two options. The first was to be jailed and wait several days before she would be able to contact the Canadian consulate or return to India. Ms. Cruz chose the later and decided to return to India on a flight via Kuwait. She has stated before she was released the INS officers cut out the front page of her passport and filled each page with "expedited removal" stamps, rendering her passport useless.
We request a full investigation into these charges. In addition we request that the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service as well as Department of Homeland Security implement a training system to insure that a mistake of this magnitude does not happen again.
Officers and other front line personnel have to be made aware of what United States law is and familiarity with major allies travel documents has to be enforced. In addition agents must be educated that decisions are made based on facts, not assumptions and certainly not on a person's skin color. As a first point of contact for the majority of people (both US and non-US citizens) the INS and Custom officials have a responsibility to protect our borders but also to promote American ideals and values, which were lacking in the treatment of Ms. Cruz.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Joseph Crowley Member of Congress
cc: Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security Asa Hutchinson Acting Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services Eduardo Aguirre
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