August 15, 2007, - 10:11 am
OUTRAGE But No Surprise: CIS Agents Aided Islamists Seeking Visas; Similar Problems @ ICE
By
Today’s Washington Times story about Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) employees accepting bribes from Muslim extremists in exchange for visas and other documents, while an outrage, should not be a surprise to anyone. Certainly not to reades of this site. (The article also said that ICE agents were helping to smuggle items in diplomatic pouches from China into the U.S.)
I’ve detailed background on this problem on this site. To wit:
* The Justice Department does not do much to prosecute CIS and other immigration officials who accept bribes in exchange for helping illegals and other malefactor non-citizens.
I , a Customs and Border Protection port Director in the San Diego area and Detroit Metro Airport. She took thousands in bribes to allow drugs and human cargo to be smuggled into the U.S. She stood to do–and should have done–36 years in prison. Instead, she got probation. She did not even have to return the cash, hot tub, or work on a Mercedes–all of which she took to betray our country . . . her country. And she was never even arrested.
Then, there are two other cases, one of them in Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). Several CIS sources say that Detroit’s top CIS official, Carol A. Jenifer, was caught taking bribes in exchange for immigration benefits (visas and citizenship). Despite that, she was allowed to remain in the job for at least four years thereafter. She retired in January with a huge party and lots of hoopla. This is how Citizenship and Immigration Services chief Emilio T. Gonzales rewards his top employees for betraying America, when he’s not pre-occupied with .
Over the years, I saw Ms. Jenifer pander to extremist Muslims at a variety of town hall meetings hosted by Islamists with strong ties to the Government of Iran and Hezbollah. She even donned a headscarf. Maybe that garners bigger payments.
Who do you think bribed her? I’ll give you a hint: One of her employees got caught accepting thousands in bribes in exchange for speeding up the citizenship applications for over 100 Lebanese and Yemeni Muslims in the Detroit area. Instead of punishing these Muslims, Federal Judge Avern Cohn, granted them the right to stay here and get citizenship, untouchable by ICE. Those that ICE already deported for the bribery scheme were allowed to return to America and eventually get citizenship.
No-one got punished, except her lowly employee who accepted the bribes. Not Jenifer, not the Muslim “immigration consultant” who paid the bribes. And not the over 100 Muslims who paid her to make the pay-off.
Then, there is Roy Bailey, the former Field Office Director Detention and Removal Operations (DRO) for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Bailey was allegedly caught stealing property of illegal aliens being detained in his facilities prior to deportation. That part is not as disturbing as the fact that he owned a Dodge Viper, other expensive cars, and property that he could not afford on his salary. He lived well beyond his means and was under investigation for taking bribes from illegal alien detainees, presumably to release some of them or not deport them.
Bailey was removed from his position in 2003, and has been receiving full pay ($139,900 per year) and benefits, while he hangs out at home . . . for the last four years. This summer, he was allowed to retire and take full pension benefits. That’s right, he was never prosecuted, and you, the taxpayer, will pay his $100,000-plus annual pension and full healthcare.
ICE agents are livid that they work so hard while he got an extended four-year pre-retirement vacation for apparently breaking the law. You should be livid, too.
There is a race element involved the Caganap, Jenifer, and Bailey cases. All three are Black, and ICE, CIS (before that INS–for whom both worked), and CBP were afraid to take action against them because of their race, inside sources say.
That’s sad, because we know that the majority of Black agents in these agencies–like the majority of White agents–are loyal Americans dedicated to enforcing the law and doing their jobs. Being afraid to properly punish these employees merely because of their race tells us that the Department of Homeland Security (for whom all three worked) views all of its Black employees like those three and is, itself, dominated by a racist pathology.
* There is virtually no investigation by the agencies involved. This is detailed extensively in today’s Washington Times piece.
As I’ve written on this site, Michael Maxwell was the the Director of Security for CIS. He tried to enforce the law and investigate wrongdoing. He raised objections when that was not done and malfeasance was allowed. He was forced to leave the agency and is now “under investigation.” Emilio T. Gonzalez appointed the woman who was in charge of the environment and weather for the Coast Guard to replace him, which has “everything” to do with security. Reportedly, she didn’t last long.
, the Director of the Office of Professional Responsiblity (OPR) at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was in charge of investigating Roy Bailey and did nothing, allowing him to retire. She remains in her job, but–we hear–not for long.
Lembke, as head of ICE OPR, had jurisdiction over CBP, but she appears to have lost that because she is not getting the job done. No surprise, when she won’t even fully investigate and discipline the ICE employees–like Bailey–in her purview. Some sources inside ICE say that ICE “leadership” is non-plussed at her inability to work together with Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General and CBP Internal Affairs. Apparently, there is a search for a new high-paid, high-ranking position for her to occupy (like a lump of coal) at ICE. By publishing this on my site, I probably (unfortunately) single-handedly saved her job.
Says another high-ranking source in the know (one whom I deeply respect):
I found this article [from today’s Washington Times] interesting for two reasons. USCIS has, like CBP, formed its own internal affairs bureau as an alternative to continuing to use ICE OPR for these services. That’s a continued reflection on the poor quality of service these organizations were getting from ICE OPR (although per the WT article, USCIS isn’t doing all that hot a job on its own, to include not filling the 65 investigator positions it is apparently authorized).
ICE has multiple vacancy announcements out for temporary promotions around the country at the GS-14 and GS-15 levels for 3-year tours of duty at OPR offices. On the one hand that’s a good thing, we argued for years that IA/OPR agents should be GS-14s with managerial experience. Of course, these GS-14s are upgrades which means they won’t have managerial experience, so it’s a bit of a sidestep for part of the reason we wanted the increased grades. But it may be an incentive for good agents in OI to make the move over to OPR to get the increased pay (which counts towards their retirement calculations); OPR continues to have real problems attracting quality agents, particularly given their lousy management at the top.
Like they say, the fish rots from the head down. ICE Chieftess bears the blame for this mess. She pulled every trick in the book to make her grrlpower friend (and ‘s) Lembke the Director of ICE OPR, giving her flexible hours and other cushy conditions no male agent would ever get at the agency.
They can’t–and won’t–even investigate corruption in their own agency. And you expect them to investigate the illegal alien problem?
The motto atop ICE–and CIS: Cast thy dung upon the waters . . . .
Tags: America, Avern Cohn, Border Protection port Director, Carol A. Jenifer, chief, China, CIS official, citizenship applications, Coast Guard, David Lunde, Debbie Schlussel, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Detroit, Detroit Metro Airport, director, Director Detention and Removal Operations, Director in the San Diego area and Detroit Metro Airport, Director of Security, Dodge Viper, Emilio T. Gonzales, Emilio T. Gonzalez, federal judge, Field Office, Government of Iran, head, healthcare, Hizballah, Homeland Security's Office, ICE OPR, immigration consultant, Immigration Services, Immigration Services chief, Inspector General, investigator, Islamic Republic of Iran, Julie L. Myers, Julie Myers, Julie Myers Diet Coke, Michael Maxwell, Office of Professional Responsiblity, Princess, Roy Bailey, San Diego, Shirley Comedy, Today's Washington Times, top CIS official, Traci Lembke, United States, USD, Washington Times
Interesting post Ms. Schlussel; please permit me an observation here.
When Customs was Customs – ALL of Customs (read: OI, Inspections, Air and Marine, etc.), IA took care of ALL in-house matters BOTH criminally and administratively. The ONLY time Teasury IG got involved was if someone high up in IA or OI had an issue that couldn’t be handled in-house due to a conflict of interest concern, but there WAS a linear pecking order.
Now, let’s see, you have ICE (OI and DRO), USCIS and CBP – each their own entity who answers only to main DHS. Each handles their own in-house soiled laundry their own way, and NONE have control over CRIMINAL issues, only ADMINISTRATIVE punishments. In fact, CBP and CIS have been rumored to want their own 1811 criminal investigators, their own IA divisions AND foreign offices to handle agency-specific matters.
And, you wonder why things are the mess they are? THERE ARE TOO MANY CHIEFS, AND NOT ENOUGH INDIANS !!! Absolutely NO acountability, and too much confusion and bureaucratic bungling.
And, by the way, ask the U.S. Secret Service if they permit DHS IG to get involved in THEIR in-house issues? My understanding is HELL NO – they handle their crap themselves (much like the FBI keeps DOJ IG at arms length regarding their in-house issues).
What you need to solve this mess is a re-consolidation of agencies and a PECKING ORDER. ALL agencies under ICE (including CBP and CIS), and OI at the top of the pecking order, with OPR having jurisdiction over ALL criminal AND administrative issues – maybe then you’ll have some accountability instead of everyone pursuing their own agendas.
4EVERCUSTOMS on August 15, 2007 at 1:11 pm