In July 2014, OPS provided the Office of Inspector General (OIG) with the names of individuals it had identified as coming from special interest countries or neighboring countries with high rates of immigration fraud, had final deportation orders under another identity, and had become naturalized USA citizens.
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The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants, according to an internal Homeland Security audit.
“When there is a matching record, USCIS researches the circumstances underlying the record to determine whether the applicant is still eligible for naturalized citizenship”, the report says.
“Incomplete digital fingerprint records hinder adjudicators’ full review of naturalization applications and may lead to USCIS granting the rights and privileges of US citizenship to those who may be ineligible or may be trying to obtain citizenship fraudulently”, the DHS inspector general’s office said in a statement.
As many as 315,000 fingerprints belonging to migrants with deportation orders or who are fugitive criminals are still missing, according to John Roth’s report.
It recommends the remaining older fingerprint records be digitized and that DHS review “the eligibility of each naturalized citizen whose fingerprint records reveal deportation orders under a different identity” and decide whether to seek denaturalization. That’s because “paper-based fingerprint cards used prior to 2008 were not consistently digitized and uploaded into the repository”, according to Homeland Security’s audit. “To prevent fraud and ensure thorough review of naturalization applications, (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) needs access to these fingerprint records”.
More than 800 immigrants who were supposed to be removed from the country have instead become US citizens.
“Under the [Immigration and Nationality Act], a Federal court may revoke naturalization (denaturalize) through a civil or criminal proceeding if the citizenship was obtained through fraud or misrepresentation”.
Additionally, Hakim said DHS had already established a USCIS-led review team to go over every file identified in the OIG report as a case of possible fraud. ICE has closed 90 investigations and has an additional 32 investigations open. Previously, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement said they focused resources on only passing along cases to the Offices of the United States Attorneys that would actually be prosecuted, and now 120 cases have been earmarked for denaturalization.
Assimilated US citizens are allowed to be employed in jobs deemed security sensitive – meaning the migrants could apply for jobs at maritime facilities or airports. Of the 858, the investigation has already identified one individual working in law enforcement and three who had obtained security clearances.
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The report by the DHS Office of Inspector General was released on September 8.
