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CNN Saturday Morning News
Challenges Faced by the INS
Aired November 10, 2001 - 08:26 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.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Since the September 11 attacks, U.S. immigration policy has come under criticism. Some feel the door to the U.S. has been too wide open, especially to those with anti- American views.
CNN's Brian Cabell has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They wait patiently hour after hour in front of the Immigration and Naturalization Service clutching papers, clutching hopes for visas, green cards, citizenship.
Victor Morales wants a better life for his family. Ahn Lee (ph) loves the diversity of the U.S. Vivian Norman cherishes the freedom here and worries about others trying to tear it down.
VIVIAN NORMAN, U.S. PERMANENT RESIDENT: The U.S. should be able to keep people out of the country if their political beliefs are very radical and against what Americans stand for.
CABELL: That is one of the central questions in the immigration debate today. Should an immigrant's anti-American views keep him out of the country? For instance, radicals, many harboring resentment or even hatred of the U.S., but nevertheless wanting to visit, work or study here.
MARK KRIKORIAN, CENTER FOR IMMIGRATIONS STUDIES: Our visa officers overseas need to be instructed that when in doubt, keep them out. In other words, they need to be given sweeping powers to reject visa applicants who, although they may not have actually killed anyone yet or raised money for terrorists, are nonetheless enemies of America.
CABELL: The larger problem, according to conservative critics such as Krikorian, is that immigration to the United States is out of control and was long before September 11. Eight million illegal aliens in the cities, towns and countryside of America. Two hundred fifty thousand illegals due for deportation, but the INS can't find them.
The INS has taken much of the heat for the immigration mess and many on Capitol Hill want to revamp or dismantle the agency. But many of the problems actually start overseas at the embassies before the INS even gets involved. It's the State Department that grants the visas, and critics say there is little coordination among the State Department, the FBI, the CIA and the INS.
REP. HAROLD ROGERS (R), KENTUCKY: That is probably more important than anything we could do is to be sure that INS, whatever it is over here, has the data from CIA and FBI and other law enforcement agencies about who it is that's applying and whether or not they are a terroristic threat.
CABELL: Better screening of the applicants, more effective tracking of them once they get to U.S. and tighter controls of the Canadian and Mexican borders, that's what most critics say needs to be done. But from an INS deputy commissioner this word of caution. "We must not forget,'' Michael Becraft recently said, "what has made this nation great -- our openness to new ideas and new people and a commitment to individual freedom, shared values, innovation and the free market.''
GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We will always value freedom. Yet we will not allow those who plot against our country to abuse our freedoms and our protections.
CABELL: These breakfast diners in Roswell, Georgia agree with their president. But since September 11, they admit they're more leery about non-Americans.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just think we should be real careful about who comes over here now. If they disagree with our political system and our views and our approach to life and our lifestyles here, then I don't think they should be here.
CABELL: That's the same answer you hear from the aspiring Americans in front of the INS office.
Brian Cabell, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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