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STOP SPECIAL RE-REGISTRATION
INS Special Registration or Special Persecution?
In November 2002, the Justice Department launched the INS Special Registration Program for male nationals of 24 Muslim countries.
During the first year, these men and boys were subject to an aggressive intimidating interrogation. As a result, 13,000 were detained and are being deported en mass of the over 100,000 called up. This December, the Special Re-Registration process is set to begin again for everyone who has already registered.
The American Muslim Voice (AMV), Blue Triangle Network (BTN) and Pakistan American Alliance (PAA) are demanding an explanation from the Justice Department as to why the same people from the same countries are required to re-register this year. It’s done! The government has the information they need. The AMV, BTN and PAA are urging the Justice Department to stop this pure form of racial profiling.
For a second time, each non-citizen man and boy will be exposed to the risk of new bureaucratic and paperwork problems which can result in their being detained indefinitely and deported even if they were not detained during the first round.
This program is unjust, unfair, unethical, un-American and unable to achieve its stated goal, which is to catch terrorists. To my knowledge no terrorists have been captured. On the only Muslim nationwide Special Registration Hotline, over and over I heard from confused and fearful people; “no terrorist is going to walk into the INS office and register”. “Why are we being targeted and treated like common criminals?” This program has created a culture of anxiety, humiliation, frustration, anger and total despair in my community, said Samina Faheem.
The INS Special Registration came in four stages: (Group 1 Nov.) Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan and Syria; (Group 2 Dec.) Afghanistan, Algeria, Bahrain, Eritrea, Lebanon, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen; (Group 3 Jan.) Pakistan or Saudi Arabia; (Group 4 Feb.) Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan or Kuwait. All 15/16 years old or older male citizens or nationals of these countries were required to register. Registrants were told to re-register again before their registration anniversary date.
The INS collected all possible identification data. These people were finger printed and photographed. They provided their home and work address, bank cards, departmental store cards, Social Security number and driving license number. The INS also required these people to get an exit stamp on their passport every time they leave the country and re-register upon their return. These people are allowed to leave or enter the country only from specific ports. If they move or change jobs, they are required to update INS. So the question we all must ask is, why are we wasting our resources on the same people from the same countries? If The BCIS must do the registration, don’t you think they should pick different countries?
We are calling on all concerned fellow Americans, organizations, media, peace and justice groups, interfaith organizations, academia, students, labor unions, and legislators to please join in this nationwide campaign against the oppression of Muslims, Arabs and South Asians. This campaign goes on the offensive against the existence of “Special Registration” and raises the intensity of our response to the “second round” of “Special Registration” which only serves to generate a xenophobic atmosphere by the mass registration. We need to push it out into public attention. IF WE LET THIS PASS, IT WILL NOT STOP.
This campaign is initiated by the American Muslim Voice, Blue Triangle Network and Pakistan American Alliance. Please sponsor or endorse this campaign. Visit our web site. www.amuslimvoice.org.
650-387-1994.
Campaign of American Muslim Voice and more than 35 other civil rights organizations and groups is to involve other groups and communities against the unfair law of the Special INS Registration and Re-Registration. However, male adult citizens (16 years and older) should go to the Immigration offices for re-registration within 10 days of the anniversary of their first registration.
Note: The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) is now called USCIS, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
If you decide to co-sponsor or endorse this campaign, please let us know by e-mail as soon as possible so that we can add your organization’s name on the campaign press release.
Click here to send e mail to AMV
The American Muslim Voice has come to know that when people are calling the Immigration offices to inquire about the INS Registration, they are told that there is no registration but it is a re-registration of those who called in the first round of registration. Therefore, the second round of INS registration on this site be understood as re-registration.
Click here for more details about Special Re-Registration
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