releases: https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ContentRecord_id=04EC48AB-1A28-49BC-9038-1204C513A885
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/releases?ContentRecord_id=04EC48AB-1A28-49BC-9038-1204C513A885 | Hatch Presses Administration for Answers on Immigration Failures | 2016-09-21 | 2016 | 2016-09 | Republican | House | UT | Orrin Hatch | H000338 | www.hatch.senate.gov | legacy | Washington, D.C.—Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, joined fellow members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to send a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Attorney General Loretta Lynch following a Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s report that revealed that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) granted citizenship to at least 858 individuals who were marked for deportation. The senators wrote, “Citizenship is a privilege that cannot be obtained through fraud, accident, or oversight. Yet, according to this IG report, that is precisely what has happened." “According to the report, USCIS granted citizenship despite not having digital fingerprint records to aid with the necessary identity verification,” the senators wrote. “Thus, these applicants, many of whom lied on their applications, may not have been eligible for citizenship. This is particularly troubling given these new citizens’ ability to obtain security clearances, serve in law enforcement, sponsor other aliens’ entry into the United States, and hold positions of public trust. In fact, the report found that one citizen is now a law enforcement official and at least three obtained licenses to conduct security sensitive work.” Last January, Hatch called for increased vigilance in enforcing our nation’s immigration laws. Hatch said, “As recent terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and elsewhere have made clear, the Islamic State and its followers aim to infiltrate our country and kill innocent Americans. In confronting the refugee crisis in the Middle East, we need to ensure that in welcoming refugees our nation isn’t taken advantage of by terrorists.” In their letter, the senators pressed for specific answers on what the administration will do to correct the error and avoid repeating the same mistake in the future. The full letter, as prepared for transmission, is attached: [Letter PDF] | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |