Mexicans - Hell Yeah... Poles - Hell No
WASHINGTON, June 22, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An amendment to the Senate Homeland Security Appropriations bill that would add Poland
to the list of countries currently covered by the Visa Waiver Program
(VWP) would result in significant increases in immigration, legal and
illegal, and heighten national security risks, warned the Federation for
American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
The
VWP currently allows citizens of 38 countries to enter the U.S. for up
to 90 days without having to obtain a visa or be interviewed,
face-to-face, by a U.S. consular officer. [Strange, since Obama allows Hispanics to illegally enter.] To participate in the VWP,
federal law requires that the sending country demonstrate that their
visa refusal rate is 3 percent or less.
Poland, however, represents a high
risk for illegal immigration. In 2014, 6.4 percent of visa applications
from Polish nationals were rejected. Poles are among the top 20
nationalities of illegal aliens in the U.S. Moreover, since joining the
European Union in 2004, some 2 million Polish citizens have settled
outside that country, mostly in other EU countries.
Compounding the risk of increased illegal immigration from Poland
is a 2013 Obama administration policy memo allowing VWP overstays to
apply for green cards if they are immediate relatives of U.S. citizens.
Given the large number of Polish immigrants in the U.S., adding Poland to the VWP program practically invites people to enter under fraudulent pretenses.
"The decision to include Poland under the VWP is purely a political one that will further exacerbate the nation's illegal immigration crisis," charged Dan Stein. "The charge to grant VWP status to Poles is led by Sens. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.), who is facing a tough reelection campaign in a state with a sizeable Polish-American population, and Barbara Mikulski
(D-Md.), another state with a substantial Polish community. Regardless
of what ethnic group is pressing for special immigration benefits,
American jobs and American security should not be put at risk based on
narrow political interests."
FAIR
supports repeal of the VWP because the program poses an ongoing threat
to homeland security. International terrorist organizations, including
al-Qaeda, ISIS and others openly recruit citizens of VWP countries
because these passports make it easy for them to gain access to the U.S.
and other western nations.
"In
an age of massive global migration and global terrorist networks, VWP
is a post 9/11 luxury we can no longer afford," declared Stein. "Adding
a country, known to be a source of significant illegal immigration to the United States and other countries, would only compound the problem.
"The United States
should continue to welcome people from around the world who wish to
visit our country for legitimate purposes, but only after we establish
with reasonable confidence that they do not pose a danger and that they
intend to return home before their visas expire. Given Poland's
exceptionally high visa refusal rate and the large number of Polish
illegal aliens in the U.S., we must continue to require that Polish
citizens obtain a visa before entering our country," Stein concluded.
ABOUT FAIR
Founded
in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With
over 250,000 members nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies
that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes
that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the
economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of
law that is recognized and enforced.
posted by Denny @ 11:44 PM
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