Question #10: As I understand it, in 1986 when amnesty was last declared there were a lot of people who had recently arrived in the states who had given false affidavits and had got amnesty. I also understand that the INS does not microscopically go through each application and on the whole grants amnesty to all. Is this true?????

Carl Shusterman: Although there was some fraud in the Amnesty Program, the great bulk of the fraud occurred in a program for Special Agricultural Workers. These SAW's, as they were called, only had to demonstrate that they had worked in the field, for a 90-day period. The Immigration Service investigated persons who signed hundreds of affidavits for these farm workers, found many to be fraudulent, and brought both criminal and deportation proceedings against many thousands of individuals. Even those who were granted permanent residence often find that when they apply for citizenship, the INS instead places them under deportation proceedings.


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Amnesty 2000 compiled by Carl Shusterman, Esq.

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