*EPF112 10/29/01
Fact Sheet: President Bush on Immigration Policy
(Directive makes it more difficult for terrorists to enter country) (650)
President Bush has issued an immigration policy directive that makes it
more difficult for terrorists to enter or remain in the United States.
Following is the text of the White House fact sheet:
(begin
text)
October 29, 2001
FACT SHEET
INCREASING IMMIGRATION
SAFEGUARDS AND IMPROVING VITAL INFORMATION SHARING
TODAY'S PRESIDENTIAL
ACTION
President Bush convened the first formal meeting of the full
Homeland Security Council (HSC).
The President took another step in the
fight against terrorism by issuing a Presidential Directive to improve
immigration policies and practices and make it more difficult for terrorists to
enter or remain in the United States.
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S ACTION TO
TIGHTEN IMMIGRATION POLICIES
Improving legal immigration remains a
priority for the Bush Administration, but the Bush Administration is committed
to ensuring that our immigration policies and practices do not allow terrorists
to enter or remain in the United States.
To increase immigration
safeguards and improve vital information sharing between federal agencies,
President Bush issued a new Homeland Security Presidential Directive to help
combat terrorism through more effective immigration policies and practices.
Among its key features, the Presidential Directive:
-- Creates a
Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force: The Task Force will coordinate Federal
programs designed to: (1) deny entry into the U.S. of aliens associated with,
suspected of being engaged in or supporting terrorist activity; and (2) locate,
detain, prosecute, or deport any such aliens already present in the U.S. The
Task Force will be established by the Attorney General by November 1. Experts
from the State Department, FBI, INS, Secret Service, Customs Service and the
intelligence community will serve on the Task Force.
-- Orders a
Thorough Review of Student Visa Policies: International students add greatly to
the vitality and quality of our nation's colleges, universities and other
institutions of learning. The Presidential Directive orders the Secretary of
State and the Attorney General -- working with the Secretary of Education,
Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Energy and the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) -- to institute tighter controls and ensure
that student visas are being issued appropriately. A goal of the program is to
prohibit the education and training of foreign nationals who would use their
training to harm the United States and its Allies.
-- Better Coordinates
Immigration and Customs Policies with Canada and Mexico: Millions of people and
billions of dollars of goods move legally between the United States, Canada and
Mexico each year. The United States seeks to deny potential terrorists easy
entry into the country from Canada or Mexico, while ensuring that legal travel
and commerce continues with minimal border restrictions. The Directive orders
the Secretaries of State and Treasury and the Attorney General to increase the
sharing of customs and immigration information with Canada and Mexico, and work
with our neighbors to develop a shared immigration and customs control database.
These efforts will ensure the maximum possible compatibility of immigration,
customs and visa policies.
The Presidential Directive also:
--
Directs the Attorney General and Secretary of the Treasury to enhance the
investigative and intelligence analysis capabilities of the INS and the Customs
Service, and to increase INS and Customs special agent personnel assigned to
Joint Terrorism Task Forces
-- Directs the Office of Science and
Technology Policy to work with the Attorney General and the Director of Central
Intelligence to make recommendations on advanced technology that could be used
to aid immigration enforcement
-- Directs the Office of Management and
Budget to work with the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Secretary
of the Treasury and the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security to
develop a budgetary plan to support this effort.
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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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