Congressional Statements

Pallone: India should not be added to Special Registration List until it's implemented fairly

Calls for Attorney General Ashcroft to Investigate Program

Press Release
February 11, 2003

Washington, D.C. --- U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), cofounder of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, today said India should not be added to a controversial special registration program that unfairly forces men from 25 countries to an extensive interview with immigration authorities until the program can be implemented in a fair and nondiscriminatory manner. The New Jersey congressman made this comment in a letter to U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft in which he also urged Ashcroft to thoroughly investigate the program.

The National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS), which is currently administered through the Justice Department's Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), requires that male citizens from 25 nations over the age of 16 be interviewed, photographed and fingerprinted by immigration authorities.

"India is a country that has enjoyed over a half-century of vibrant democracy," Pallone wrote in his letter to Ashcroft. "Relations between the U.S. and India continue their strong upward trend in economic, political, diplomatic, scientific, cultural, military and security areas. In particular, the U.S. and India are strong allies in the war on terrorism. At this time, I see no justification for requiring individuals from India to participate in the NSEERS program."

While the Justice Department says that every nation will be included on the list by 2005, Pallone said that India should not be added to the list until the Justice Department has determined that the current pattern of targeting countries based on race, religion and ethnicity is eliminated.

"Although the Justice Department plans to cover every nation under the NSEERS program by 2005, I am deeply concerned by the criteria with which your department has chosen to target certain countries," Pallone wrote in his letter to Secretary Ashcroft. "By listing 25 countries that are predominantly Muslim countries within the first and second round, I am led to believe that the NSEERS program is being implemented to methodically roundup Arab and Muslim males.

"There have been daily reports of injustice and violations to law-abiding immigrants complying with the program," Pallone continued. "Not only has there been no balance demonstrated between respecting civil liberties and securing our borders, but in addition, the information being sought from individuals (credit cards, video rental cards, bank accounts) and especially those here on student visas (names of roommates, campus political and religious affiliations) is particularly outrageous and raises both Constitutional and privacy concerns."