May 1, 2007

ICE Expands Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces to Six More Cities

According to and ICE press release dated April 25, 2007, "Officials from the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Department of State and other agencies today announced the creation of task forces in six major U.S. cities to combat the growing problems of document fraud and immigration benefits fraud.
The new Document and Benefit Fraud Task Forces will be located in Baltimore; Chicago; Miami; Phoenix; San Francisco; and Tampa, Fla. The new task forces build upon the success of document and benefit fraud task forces that have been operating in 11 major U.S. cities since April 2006. The task forces primarily target two types of crimes, document fraud and benefit fraud. These task forces have initiated 541 investigations, 350 indictments, 456 criminal arrests and 243 convictions.

Led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the task forces build on existing partnerships to bring together investigators from a variety of agencies with expertise in different aspects of document and benefit fraud. These agents partner with U.S. Attorney's Offices to formulate a comprehensive approach in targeting the criminal organizations behind these schemes as well as the beneficiaries of such fraud.

Participants in the task forces include ICE, The Department of Justice, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Labor Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, State Department Office of Inspector General, State Department Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Secret Service and numerous state and local law enforcement agencies.

Document fraud refers to the manufacture, sale, or use of counterfeit identity documents - such as fake driver's licenses, birth certificates, Social Security Cards or passports - for immigration fraud or other criminal activity. Document fraud also involves efforts to obtain genuine identity documents through fraudulent means. These activities have helped illegal aliens, criminals and even terrorists evade detection and embed themselves in our society. Document fraud often supports the crime of benefit fraud.

Benefit fraud refers to the misrepresentation or omission of material fact on an application to obtain an immigration benefit one is not entitled to, such as U.S. citizenship, political asylum or a valid visa. Because these benefits give one the ability to freely enter, work or reside in this country, they are prized by illegal aliens, criminals and terrorists, who may be willing to pay substantial fees for them. As a result, the criminal organizations that help individuals fraudulently obtain immigration benefits reap enormous profits."

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