Since Jan 27, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) had been holding special registrations for men–many of whom are students–visiting our country from certain Middle Eastern nations.
Special registration, officially called the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), is a system that allows the government to track non-immigrants in the U.S. The system requires those visitors who are in the U.S. on temporary visas to register with and report to the INS. There are four elements to the program: entry processing, periodic reporting requirements, address change notification and departure control.
The first step of the process is a detailed interview with the traveler at the time of entry into the country. The traveler will be finger printed and photographed, and questioned about the details of his or her trip including planned activities, visits, residence and meetings. Records of the interviews will be kept on the INS database and the traveler is obligated to keep the INS informed of his or her activities.
For any special registrants who are in the country more than 30 days, an in-person interview is required during the ten-day period following the thirtieth day after his or her entry into the country. The special registrant will be fingerprinted and photographed again as proof of identity, questioned about their activities and future plans, and required to provide documentary evidence proving that he or she has maintained a lawful immigration status. For example, a non-immigrant student must present school records, transcripts and proof of tuition payment.
In addition to the 30-day interview, any special registrant who is in the country for more than a year must report for an in-person interview within the ten-day period following the anniversary of his or her last entry into the country.
Special registrants, like all non-immigrants, are required to notify the INS of any changes of address. Unlike other non-immigrants, special registrants must also notify the INS of any changes of employment and educational institution.
Finally, any special registrants wishing to depart the country must use specially designated ports that have the proper processing facilities. He or she must meet with an INS officer at the port on the date of departure, be subjected to final fingerprinting and photographing, questioned about their activities and required to provide final paperwork proving the lawfulness of their stay in the U.S.
At the moment, the system is monitoring two classes of people.
In one class are the nationals of any nation that the attorney general lists in the Federal Register after consulting with the secretary of state. Anyone entering the U.S. with a visa from a specified country is automatically responsible to follow special registration procedure. Additionally, on an individual level, anyone whom the attorney general believes to be of one of the specified nationalities can be held responsible, even if they are of dual nationality and are presenting the visa of another country.
The second class includes anyone marked by a U.S. consul or INS inspector at a port of entry. A copy of a confidential memorandum by Johnny N. Williams, INS executive associate commissioner of field operations, was released by World Net Daily. In it, Williams states that any non-immigrant with “unexplained” trips to certain predominantly Muslim countries, or to Cuba or North Korea, and any non-immigrant identified by a consular office as a potential security risk may also be subject to special registration. The criteria for marking such individuals are, at the moment, classified by the INS.
The deadline schedule for registration divides the immigrants into four groups of a couple of countries each.
The first group included visitors from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria. The deadline for registration was between January 27 and February 7, 2003. Any male born after November 15, 1986 and last admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant and inspected by the INS on or before November 16, 2002 had to register. Immigrants that did not apply for asylum on or before November 6, 2002 and were in the U.S. as least until December 6, 2002 also had to register.
Group two included visitors from Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The deadline for registration was between January 27 and February 7, 2003. Any male born after December 2, 1986 and last admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant and inspected by the INS on or before September 30, 2002 had to register. Immigrants that did not apply for asylum on or before November 22, 2002 and were in the U.S. as least until January 10, 2003 also had to register.
Group three includes visitors from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. The deadline is between January 13 and February 21, 2003. Any male born after January 13, 1987 and last admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant and inspected by the INS on or before September 30, 2002 has to register. Immigrants that did not apply for asylum on or before December 18, 2002 and will be in the U.S. as least until March 28, 2003 also have to register.
Group four includes visitors from Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Kuwait. Deadline for registration is between February 24 and March 28, 2003. Any male born after February 24, 1987 and last admitted to the U.S. as a nonimmigrant and inspected by the INS on or before September 30, 2002 has to register.
February 28, 2003
News