More than half a million foreign nationals have overstayed their Waiver Program or B visas:
A total of 527,127 people visiting the U.S. through both programs failed to leave and have remained in the country without legal status or lawful presence. According to the report, more than 90 percent of those who remained in the country illegally, a total of 482,781, were believed to still be present through the end of last year, according to Department of Homeland Security data.
“These figures reveal the disintegration of our immigration system before our very eyes,” a GOP Senate aide told the Washington Examiner. The aide noted that that the report does not include figures from other major visa programs, including the F-1 student visa, multiple H and L foreign worker visas, and the J-1 exchange visa.
Naturally, DHS is downplaying the figures and instead is touting the fact that nearly 99% of foreign visitors left on time. But it’s not really a question of percentages, but rather who is overstaying their legal welcome.
With that in mind, here’s more:
A number of countries with ties to terrorism had significant numbers of nationals still in the U.S. accounted for by the federal government: 1,435 from Pakistan, 681 from Iraq, 564 from Iran, 440 from Syria, 219 from Yemen, 219 from Afghanistan, and 56 from Libya.
And where are they now and why are they still here?
¯_(ツ)_/¯
15 years after 9/11, a shrug is not an acceptable response.
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