{"id":5421,"date":"2013-12-16T15:58:18","date_gmt":"2013-12-16T20:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=5421"},"modified":"2018-12-28T15:22:15","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T20:22:15","slug":"12-days-of-amnesty-the-5th-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2013\/12\/16\/12-days-of-amnesty-the-5th-day\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Days of Amnesty…the 5th Day"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the 5th<\/sup> Day of Amnesty, the Obama administration promoted\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n

The fraud-ridden EB-5 visa<\/a> program.<\/p>\n

\"12<\/a><\/p>\n

The EB-5 investor visa allows foreign nationals to gain a green card and eventually be eligible for citizenship by investing $500,000 or $1 million in the U.S. \u2013 depending on the program. Then, their investment must create at least ten U.S. jobs.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the program lacks sufficient oversight and is susceptible to fraud. It is difficult to accurately calculate<\/a> whether an investment actually creates jobs in the U.S. and instances of fraud<\/a> have been uncovered. And the government even authorizes shady middlemen<\/a> to help them run the program.<\/p>\n

A 2012 DHS Inspector General report<\/a> found USCIS processors were pressured to rubberstamp EB-5 and other legal immigration applications. And, USCIS director Alejandro Mayorkas \u2013 President Obama\u2019s pick to be No. 2 at DHS \u2013 is currently being investigated<\/a> for allegedly helping a Virginia company run by Hillary Clinton\u2019s brother secure an EB-5 visa for a Chinese investor \u2013 who had already been denied twice.<\/p>\n

The program may also pose a national security risk. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) recently revealed<\/a> an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) memo that warns that Iranian operatives may be using the program to \u201cinfiltrate\u201d the country.<\/p>\n

Ultimately, the very idea of selling entry into the country is unsettling. Rather than identifying and inviting immigrants who are the best fit for our current needs, the EB-5 program allows green cards to be sold to the highest bidder.