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CNN Live At Daybreak

Ashcroft Unveils New Fast-Track Visa Rewards Program For Information

Aired November 30, 2001 - 06:31   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Attorney General John Ashcroft says a new fast-track visa program will be offered to people who snitch on suspected terrorists. Ashcroft says the program could help others get long-term visas that may result in permanent residencies or citizenship. He says even the legal immigrants could be helped if they provide valuable information.

That plan -- that plan to give incentives of immigration has received some criticism that it could actually be hurting the very people that it's trying to help. Our national correspondent Eileen O'Connor has more on that.

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EILEEN O'CONNOR, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The attorney general is trying the carrot approach to get information from people here on temporary visas who might have overstayed their visas and those who are abroad, perhaps wanting to come to the United States.

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JOHN ASHCROFT, UNITED STATES ATTORNEY GENERAL: If the information that you provide is reliable and useful, we will help you obtain a visa to reside in the United States and ultimately become a United States citizen.

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O'CONNOR: Specifically non-U.S. citizens abroad could be given a non-immigrant visa. Those already here could get the grant of a parole or the deferral of any prosecutions relating to visa violations. But some immigration lawyers say the program is a promise without any guarantees.

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DAVID ROTHWELL, IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY: What if what he has to say is not enough from the government's point of view and in the saying he has disclosed who he is and what his immigration problem is. I don't see anything that would suggest that the government is going to go leniently on people like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) O'CONNOR: The attorney general denies it is designed as a trap.

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ASHCROFT: The instruction is to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and to the embassy offices that they are not to inquire as to the immigration status of the person bringing the information. They are only to receive the information.

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O'CONNOR: Still the move comes on the heels of a memo sent to investigators conducting voluntary interviews with mostly young men of Middle Eastern origin here on temporary visas about September 11th. The directive advises officials to be on guard for potential visa violations. The memo says affirmative requests either by the FBI or the United States attorney's office to detain immigration violators under no bond should be honored.

This man, despite having a permanent resident visa, received an invitation like this from the U.S. attorney's office in Michigan for one of those interviews. He says the potential for more trouble even if he cooperates is giving him pause.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can never -- I can never tell -- saying a word that is going to be misinterpreted.

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O'CONNOR: In addition, some lawyers are concerned the incentive of a visa or a parole for violators could invite false leads.

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ROTHWELL: The consequences for the person that they would name could be huge -- suddenly, someone gets named by an unknown source. They're drawn in. They have no bond. They have no -- they have no good defense.

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O'CONNOR: Still the attorney general says any idea like this one designed to obtain information in the fight against terrorism is an idea he's going to try.

Eileen O'Connor, CNN, Washington.

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