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Fixing the problem
By SYDNEY P. FREEDBERG
© St. Petersburg Times,
published November 25, 2001
Since the Sept. 11 attacks, the U.S. government has mounted a sweeping effort to tighten immigration policies.
It has:
- Created a foreign terrorist tracking task force designed to stop suspected terrorists from entering the country.
- Stepped up enforcement against petty immigration offenses and detained hundreds of immigration violators, including foreigners who stay in the country after their visas expire.
- Redeployed inspectors to the U.S.-Canada border and vowed better coordination of policies with Canada and Mexico.
- Promised to boost resources for the Immigration and Naturalization Service, U.S. Customs Service and Department of State to support an aggressive homeland defense strategy.
- Moved to restructure the INS by creating two separate bureaus. One will be responsible for combating illegal immigration. The other will be responsible for processing legal immigrants' claims for employment and asylum, among other services.
- Ordered federal agencies to share intelligence information and integrate their watch lists so people with terrorist ties are kept out of the country.
- Instructed U.S. embassies and consulates abroad to conduct stricter background checks before granting visas to visitor-applicants from certain Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia.
- Announced a review of visa-free travel for foreigners from six countries.
- Vowed to automate INS systems to track foreign students and visitors.
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