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Home Front: Politix
Millions of Visa Overstays Overlooked
2006-06-07
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Millions of illegal immigrants in the United States never jumped the U.S.-Mexico border where Congress wants to erect impenetrable walls and President Bush is sending National Guard troops to patrol. They never sneaked in at all.

The little-acknowledged reality is that nearly half the estimated 12 million undocumented foreigners in the United States entered on bona fide U.S. visas - and simply never left. Authorities call them "overstays" who have been largely overlooked in the vitriolic debate on immigration. "The southwestern border gets all the attention, but it's staggering the number of people who come and overstay their visa," said Dean Boyd, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Washington. "It's a very large-scale problem."

A study by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center last month indicated that 45 percent of the undocumented migrants in the United States overstayed legal visas. Confirming those findings or knowing the home country of those who overstay their visas is tricky because U.S. authorities don't track the problem. Immigration authorities also generally don't compare entry and exit information to see who should have left the country.
Posted by:Steve White

#11  Over the weekend ICE arrested a Chinese restaurant owner and a number of his employees in a suburb of Cincinnati. The owner was supposed to have been deported for overstaying his visa well over a decade ago, but was now arrested for importing illegals from New York City to work in his restaurant. He'd bought a house in a quiet suburb about five years ago, and half a dozen of his employees lived there with him. As I recall, the restaurant was next to the town hall, and the government employees ate there regularly -- he offered a lovely, cheap buffet lunch. He clearly wasn't caught because they were looking for him, but because he was bringing in others.

Still, like other more or less effective arrests of those here illegally, it is becoming clear that the risk of being caught is much higher than it used to be, and the odds of keeping monetary gains are much lower. I do not expect to see any stories about illegals deciding the risk isn't worth it, and quietly decamping for home.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-06-07 16:42  

#10  How many of the 9/11 hijackers were 'overstays'?

My own question as well, Uleng Sheth5937. Evidently enough to perpetrate the most heinous atrocity in American history.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-06-07 16:04  

#9  Awhile back RB posted a report O. Bin Laden had been in the US on a medical visa for his son but there are no records! This is the digital age and there is no excuse for this. Biometric passports and upgrading the technology and computers would be a good start.
Posted by: Danielle   2006-06-07 14:52  

#8  
"...why is the U.S. still giving out 10-year visas?"

For people like me with spouses that are foreign nationals, and are getting the MAX run-around from immigration, 10 year visas are essential.

Visas are EXPENSIVE, and time consuming to get. Having a 10 year visas for my wife, so she can come and go as needed has been invaluable. Her stays average 45 - 90 days, so it works out great.

What they need to do is be very careful about who they give them to, ours was quite difficult to get. I actually went to Delhi and attended my wifes INS (at the time) interview, and insisted on a US official, versus an Indian employee of the Embassy.

I hope this clears the matter for you!

-M
Posted by: Manolo   2006-06-07 10:41  

#7  But...but...both W. and Teddy say we need "Temporary workers" as part of a "comprehensive plan" to stem the flow of ilegal aliens. It's all in how you define "Temporary".
Posted by: DepotGuy   2006-06-07 09:52  

#6  How many of the 9/11 hijackers were 'overstays'?
Posted by: Uleng Sheth5937   2006-06-07 09:06  

#5  How about this to fix the problem

I don't understand. What do you mean? Are you saying that we don't have to do this?
Posted by: 2b   2006-06-07 04:48  

#4  Ima thinkin explosive injection ala Snake Pliskin, Escape From New York.
Posted by: ed   2006-06-07 01:14  

#3  How about this to fix the problem: Get a visa, then upon entering the US, the visa-ee stops by Customs, who outfit him.her with an ankle bracelet, much like convicts (and Martha Stewart) wear. Only this one is progammable so at the end of the visa period, you either leave and it gets removed upon departure, or if the expiration period is greater than some amount (say 2 weeks) it goes off, triggering a small explosive that launches one foot in some random direction. The repeat offenders could only do it once more. And if you received an extension, the Customs dudes could reset the timer.
Posted by: USN Ret.   2006-06-07 01:09  

#2  New slogan at ICE, come for a visit, stay for a lifetime.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-06-07 01:08  

#1  The little-acknowledged reality is that nearly half the estimated 12 million undocumented foreigners in the United States entered on bona fide U.S. visas

This is true and very common. The decision to overstay is very calculated. They know that once you overstay, you'll never get a visa again. So the calculation goes like this: how much money can I make here versus back home, before I'm caught. It's a one shot deal. Some say it's worth. Some have nothing to lose.

What I'd like to know is, why is the U.S. still giving out 10-year visas? And what tourist comes to stay for 3 months, extendable to 6 months?
Posted by: Rafael   2006-06-07 00:26  

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