INS Workers Accused Of Shredding Thousands Of Documents. 90,000 Page Backlog Disappears

WSBTV ^ | Jan. 31, 2003 | AP

[FairOpinion]

SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Two workers in Orange County, Calif., have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of shredding thousands of documents at an INS office.

Dawn Randall and Leonel Salazar were indicted on one count of conspiracy and five counts of willfully destroying documents.

The indictment alleges Randall, a file room manager, ordered Salazar and other employees last February to shred unprocessed documents after the office had discovered a 90,000-document backlog. Prosecutors say a month after the shredding began, the backlog dropped to zero.

Prosecutors believe the papers were shredded at night to avoid detection.

The documents allegedly shredded were received from Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii and Guam. They allegedly included U.S. and foreign passports, birth and marriage certificates and INS applications and notices.

Randall and Salazar are scheduled to be arraigned Monday.

[FairOpinion]

Typical. People can come in illegally and the INS does nothing, then they shred the applications of those legally seeking immigration. Many documents submitted are originals, and the IRS promises to return them. Can you imagine them shredding people's passports, birth- and marriage certificates, etc?!

[Republic of Texas]

I suppose that's one way to get rid ogf the backlog. And destroy the US while you're at it.

[First_Salute]

I doubt this problem is unique to the I.N.S.

[holyscroller]

This is absolutely unforgiveable!

[CyberAnt]

If I had sent in my documents - I would be hiring a lawyer!

I have been wanting to get a passport ... guess I'll wait a few since I live near that processing center and my stuff would probably go there.

[Diogenesis]

THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE USA.

From the DOE to IRS to FBI to INS --- NO ACCOUNTABILITY.

[Fred Mertz]

90,000 document shredding amounts to how many applications/people?

[FairOpinion]

THERE IS NO ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE USA.
From the DOE to IRS to FBI to INS --- NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
-----

You are right. That is a major problem and is obviously leading to abuse, as this story indicates. It is also probably just the tip of an iceberg.

How many other things like this and worse happen, that never get discovered?

Why isn't Congress investigating these kinds of abuses? (Not that I have much faith in them either -- many use investigations for grandstanding, instead of investigating, getting at the problems and fixing them)

[FairOpinion]

90,000 document shredding amounts to how many applications/people?

----
Probably 10,000 to 30,000 people. Note this is just one INS office, in Orange County, CA. I bet this goes on at all of their other offices.

Also, I think this has been going on for years. I have heard of a number of cases myself over the years, where people submit their applications and documentation, wait for months, then, when they don't hear from the IRS, they check, to find that the INS has no records of them ever having applied, and they have to start all over again.

The surest way to come to the US is as an illegal alien, nobody bothers you, then... ( /sarcasm)

[CIBvet]

Doncha just love how these bureaucrats fix-up their little job challenges.

Makes a citizen want bigger government ... more clipboard carriers ... increased government control over our lives.

Well at least these two government-slugs don't have to worry about getting fired