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How accurate is E-Verify?
Many news reports about a DHS-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of the E-Verify project said that the study found that the program was accurate in only 54 percent of the cases submitted to it for verification; the heavily statistical analysis is not easily penetrated, but what the report said was that due primarily to identity fraud, the inaccuracy rate of E-Verify for unauthorized workers is approximately 54 percent
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E-Verify finds only one out of two illegals
E-Verify was launched to allow employers to verify the legal status of job applicants; a study done for DHS finds that the program is ineffective: the inaccuracy rate for unauthorized workers at about 54 percent, meaning that one in two illegal workers makes it through the screening
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DHS budget has little money for radiation detector devices
Placing radiation detectors at U.S. ports of entry would help prevent the smuggling of nuclear material into the United States — but it is also a business issue for Washington state: 400 employees work at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington; the proposed DHS budget contains only $8 million for these detectors, and the Washington congressional delegation presses for more
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Aussies to require citizens of yet-unnamed 10 countries to submit biometric info
The Australian government has launched a $69 million plan which will require citizens of ten countries — not named yet — to submit fingerprint and facial images to apply for electronic visas to enter Australia; Foreign Minister Stephen Smith: “there may well be a diplomatic effort required in respect of some of those countries as you would expect”
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GAO: Nuclear material could be smuggled undetected into U.S.
GAO investigators test for vulnerabilities along the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders; they examine both ports of entry and unmonitored areas of the border; GAO concluded that a determined cross-border violator would likely be able to bring radioactive materials or other contraband undetected into the United States by crossing the U.S.-Canada border
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Questions raised about wisdom of erecting a fence on Otay Mountain
DHS has spent $57.7-million – and waived more than thirty environmental laws in 2008 — to build a 3.6 mile fence on Otay Mountain; critics question the cost, effectiveness and environmental effect of erecting a fence where those who hiked three days up a steep, arid peak were often met by border agents anyway
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U.K. universities chafe under burden of monitoring foreign students, academics
As of 31 March 2009, all U.K. universities have been required to monitor foreign students and academics; for instance, university staff must check international student attendance, and if a student fails to attend 10 “expected interactions” (seminars, lectures, tutor meetings, etc.), the professor is obliged to report them to the U.K. Border Agency; professor say this is too much
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U.S. illegal immigrant population declines
The population of illegal immigrants in the United States has declined by 7 percent – from an estimated 11.6 million to 10.8 million – for the year ending January 2009, compared to the previous year; about 37 percent are believed to have entered the country in the last decade; 44 percent entered the United States during the 1990s and 19 percent during the 1980s
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U.S.-Mexico border fence hobbled by delays, technical problems
The future of the U.S.-Mexico border fence is in doubt; the project, contracted by DHS to Boeing, has been plagued by technical glitches from the start; among other things, the radar system had trouble distinguishing between vegetation and people when it was windy; also, the satellite communication system took too long to relay information in the field to a command center; by the time an operator moved a camera to take a closer look at a spot, whatever had raised suspicion was gone; Obama’s proposed 2011 budget cuts $189 million from the venture
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E-Verify urged for Baltimore County
Federal program aims to keep illegal immigrants off job sites; a coalition of labor unions wants Baltimore County Council members to adopt a new requirement that contractors working for the county verify the immigration status of their employees or risk losing county business; the hourly pay rate of members of the Ironworkers Union – a pay which includes health and retirement benefits — is about $40; workers in the United States illegally often get $12 an hour with no benefits
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Japanese biometric border fooled by tape
Two South Korean women have managed to fool Japan’s expensive biometric border-control system by using special tapes on their fingers; the invisible tape carries the finger prints of another person, and the South Korean broker who supplied the tape also provided false passports to go with it; this is the third known case of South Korean women using the fingerprint-altering tape to enter Japan; in all three cases, the women managed to fool the biometric screening, but were later caught because they over-stayed their visas
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Native American companies profit from detaining immigrants
Native American companies may not have expertise in running detention centers, but they have something more important: preference rights; preference gives Alaska Native corporations a priority shot at getting federal contracts; immigrant detention means business, and several Native American firms are profiting from the get-tough policy on immigration; contract awards to Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs) by all federal agencies increased by 916 percent from 2000 to 2008, rising from $508.4 million in 2000 to $5.2 billion in 2008
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ACLU challenges U.S. laptop border searches
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents searched more than 1,500 electronic devices at the U.S. border over a period of nine months between October 2008 and June 2009; customs agents forwarded electronic files found on travelers’ devices to other agencies almost 300 times; civil liberties groups argue this policy is overly broad without meaningfully contributing to U.S. security
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New visa to make it easier for foreign entrepreneurs to launch start-ups in U.S.
A proposal will be debated in Congress to create a new class of visa eligibility; the start-up visa would be granted to foreign entrepreneurs if their business plan attracts either $250,000 from a venture capital operating company that is primarily U.S. based or $100,000 from an angel investor; they must also show that the business will create five to ten jobs or generate a profit and at least $1 million in revenue
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GPS cell phone app directs illegal border crossers to water
Researchers at the University of California-San Diego develop GPS-based cell phone application aiming to help illegal immigrants by directing them to prepositioned water bins in the desert; critics say this amounts to aiding law-breaking, while supporters argue this is the humane thing to do
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More headlines
The long view
Social Acceptance of Immigrants Working as Politicians or Judges Is Low
Often, the dominant society develops negative attitudes towards immigrants and their descendants because their integration is too successful – and not because they are unwilling to integrate. A possible explanation for negative attitudes towards successful immigrants could be the dominant society’s fear of immigrants occupying influential and value-based occupations. This applies, for example, for immigrants working in local politics or law.