UPDATE BELOW
Immigration shenanigans by imams from two Boston area mosques, reported in today's Boston Globe:
"Federal immigration agents arrested imams from two Boston-area mosques Wednesday, alleging they were involved in a scheme that provided religious worker visas to immigrants who used them to enter the United States and work instead as gas station attendants, truck drivers, and factory laborers."
"Hafiz Abdul Hannan, imam, or leader, of the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell (website: isgl.org) in Chelmsford, and Muhammed Masood, imam, or leader, of the Islamic Center of New England in Sharon, were among 33 people taken into custody nationwide after a multi-year investigation led by agents in Boston and New York, said Paula Grenier, a spokeswoman for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "‘This was a nationwide religious worker visa fraud scheme designed to help illegal aliens," said Grenier."
Hmmm, good work by ICE. Hope they make it stick. Who started the Religious Worker Program (described in the Globe article) anyway? Not the first time we've seen this sort of fraud in mosques:
"The ringleader of a massive visa fraud scheme operating out of a mosque he established in a Brooklyn basement was convicted by a New York court on September 23 (2004) —the result of a three-year investigation led by ICE. Muhammad Khalil was convicted on charges of conspiring to submit hundreds of false applications on behalf of illegal aliens from the Middle East, exploiting a program that provides specialized visas for foreign workers with religious training to work with religious organizations in the United States. Khalil was the Imam—an Islamic religious teacher—and director of the Dar Ehya Essunnah mosque, which was located in the basement of a variety and greeting card store he owned in Brooklyn."
"Since 1993, Khalil sponsored over 200 fraudulent applications for individuals seeking religious work visas to enter the United States, charging cash fees ranging from $5,000 to $8,000. Prosecutors claimed that he had netted more than $600,000 from the scheme."
More from ICE here.
UPDATE: Within a few hours, the Boston branch of the Muslim American Society has this to say:
"The Muslim community in Boston is deeply concerned and outraged due to the recent arrests of two leading Imams in the Greater Boston community on alleged administrative violations of immigration policies....Imam Masoud's lawyer in the past had ensured ICNE that Masood's immigration papers are perfectly in order and that he is legally clear to work in the US. Imam Masoud and his family are applying for residency status in the US...."
"Imam Abdul Hannan from the Islamic Society of Greater Lowell has also served the Muslim community in Lowell as Imam for several years....."On the surface this appears to be yet another action unfairly targeting the local Muslim community" said Nancy Murray, Director of the Boston ACLU's Civil Liberties Task Force. ... Masood's lawyer, the Honorable William Joyce said: I'm extremely troubled by the way this came about, and I believe that Imam Masood and Abdul Hannan will both be vindicated. The way this all came about is a disgrace. They (immigration officials) wouldn't go to the Cardinal's residence and arrest him for an immigration technicality."
"MAS Boston president Hossam AlJabri along with community leaders will be meeting with immigration officials tonight to get more information about the case and will demand that charges and evidence be made public to the Boston community and that the issue be resolved in a fair and speedy manner."
The MAS provides contact information, so folks can insist on "fair, speedy and respectable" treatment of the imams.
Senator Edward Kennedy (617)565 3170
Request to speak to Tom Cohan, (ext. 119)
Senator John Kerry (617) 565-8519
Request to speak to Carmen Velazquez
I'm guessing that since the ICE has been working on this for several years, there's more to it than an "immigration technicality." Clever (sort of) to compare these imams to Cardinal O'Malley. Myself, I'm going to call my senators and express my thanks that the ICE is cracking down on fraud and abuse.
Some day, Muslim advocacy groups will work to end illegal activities in their midst, instead of covering up and claiming that they're being unfairly targeted. Some day.....
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