Laguna INS hires Enron temps...

[Celt]

That must have been the case, since, according to this
morning's L.A. Times, temp workers at the INS Laguna
Niguel office put through the shredder 90,000 pending
applications in order to deal with their current
backlog. This is more reason to become a spousal visa
expert in a short time.

[Pete E]

... in response to Laguna INS hires Enron temps..., posted by Celt on Jan 31, 2003

I presumed below this was government workers.According to Fox news just now It was a contractor working for INS.A supervisor working for the contractor ordered the documents shredded,more than once.
The supervisor and one worker are being charged.They could get 3-5.
Apparently the INS just hired another contractor.

Pete

[Gary Bala]

... in response to It was a contractor working for INS, posted by Pete E on Jan 31, 2003

Please allow me to briefly comment on this news development.

This unfortunate and in fact criminal incident once again shows
that our Immigration Service has a long road ahead for improvement
and efficiency.

For anyone interested, fellow attorney Gregory Siskind's website
reports this incident in more detail.
http://www.visalaw.com/03jan5/9jan503.html

INS is advising the public that many of the destroyed files and documents
have been "re-constructed". I know because one of the files apparantly
destroyed was one of my client cases, and I was asked to send in
a copy of my case file to Laguna Niguel.

In any event, far-reaching changes are expected soon in immigration.
INS is slated to be abolished on March 01, 2003, and its offices
and Service Centers folded into the new Department of Homeland
Security. The new immigration benefits agency "Bureau of Citizenship
and Immigration Services" (BCIS) is expected to roll out at that time.

Best regards,
Gary Bala

[mudd]

... in response to Re: It was a contractor working for INS, posted by Gary Bala on Jan 31, 2003

since i filed a K1 visa application on november 21 at laguna niguel with a 64 day processing time, that now has been switched to 235 days,is it better to switch to a spousal visa and go that route, or by the time i finish with the spousal, the k1 will be approved and i will have wasted a lot of money and time? i know you cannot be sure, but what is your opinion?
thanks!!!

[Edge]

... in response to It was a contractor working for INS, posted by Pete E on Jan 31, 2003

The article I read said the Laguna Niguel center is one of four immigration service centers around the country operated by private contractors under INS supervision.  So all of the service centers have private contractors.  I gotta believe the Laguna Niguel center has the most volume since it handles California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and

[Celt]

... in response to It was a contractor working for INS, posted by Pete E on Jan 31, 2003

Those unlucky bastards just happened to accept a contract
from a govt. agency under public scrutiny at the moment.
Otherwise, they probably would have weaseled out of it.
Why do I have the feeling that the old contractor is someone's
brother-in-law high up in the INS Laguna officialdom?

[Pete E]

... in response to Laguna INS hires Enron temps..., posted by Celt on Jan 31, 2003

Yes its rediculous that INS people shredded documents other than deal with them.What a mess for someone who had documents,even a passport ,shredded.
But - If the government is going to expect the INS to do alot of things they were not doing before 9/11 they are going to have to make sure they have sufficient staff.
Otherwise frustrated employees might resort to things like this. I  know - - - my first thought was lazy beauracrats also.
INS has done a poor job to a large extent because they were given limited funding and said take care of it.Of course it didn't get taken care of very well.Some government agencies just make a token effort at doing what they are supposed to because to do it right is an overwhelming effort.
A better solution would have been to dump the documents on a supervisor or directors desk.Off course that would require more guts.
I'm for eliminating beauracracy and government involvement wherever possible but things like INS are inheriently beauracratic,there is no private sector involved here.
For what its worth I worked in government(City) for 28 years.I know there is alot of inefficiency.It got better in latter years but still government is government.I remember having a engineering problem sitting on my desk for a couple weeks one time.If I just did it it might have taken an hour.The guy who was developing the property came in one day.He said do you know its costing me $1000 a day interest on this land while this development is being evaluated?(And that was 20 years ago).I got off my butt and did it for him.
One thing I never did,and can't stand,is to goof off right in front of people who are  waiting  to be helped. I have seen people do it,bullsh!tting with each other while I'm standing there.

Pete

[DallasSteve2]

... in response to No excuse - - - but, posted by Pete E on Jan 31, 2003

Pete

They may not have enough staff, but they sure should have enough money.  They are charging $100 and more to process a case, depending on the form.  I don't believe it should cost them $100+ to review an application.  Even if the feds didn't budget a dime for immigration, that department should be turning a profit.  If not, private industry sure could with that kind of revenue.  

Border patrol is another story.  I say our armed forces should protect our borders.  Isn't that what armed forces were originally designed to do?  I bet that would stop illegal border crossings.  Somebody just doesn't want to stop it.

Steve

[moam]

... in response to INS Funding?, posted by DallasSteve2 on Jan 31, 2003

I agree with you on this, Why in hell does it cost so much for someone to view some documents? Especially when taxpaper dollars are funding these beaucracies. As for as the military patrolling the borders, that would require them to throw out the "Posse Comatos Act"
Those old guys that founded this nation where well aware of the tendies of man, especially men with power or powerful men in uniform. Politicians not following the constitution and "we the people" not holding their feet to the fire has gotten us to the present state of things, crazy taxes,deficits,welfare state, etc, etc,.

[Celt]

... in response to INS Funding?, posted by DallasSteve2 on Jan 31, 2003

Another factor is that the military itself is not too keen
on border patrol duties.