D*****r
发帖数: 6791 | 1 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/nyregion/law-firms-accused-of
By JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN and KIRK SEMPLE
Published: December 18, 2012
They invented woeful tales of persecution for their Chinese clients. Prepped
them on how to lie about having had a forced abortion. Even tutored them on
religion.
In all, 26 people, including 6 lawyers, were charged Tuesday with helping
Chinese immigrants submit false asylum claims in an effort to stay in the
United States, law enforcement officials said.
The indictments describe elaborate schemes based in law offices in Manhattan
’s Chinatown and in Flushing, Queens, which involved teams of paralegals
and office managers, translators and a church official, who conspired to
dupe immigration officials by inventing stories of political and religious
persecution for their clients, officials said.
The indictments say female clients who sought asylum based on China’s one-
child policy were encouraged to prepare for asylum interviews by watching
Chinese soap operas so they could describe the experience of a forced
abortion. Some paralegals were called “story writers” for their knack for
inventing detailed tales of persecution. A church official in Flushing
prepared clients for questions on religion by offering basic instruction in
Christianity.
More than 20 defendants were arrested in raids in Manhattan’s Chinatown and
in Flushing, capping a three-year investigation.
Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New
York, accused the defendants of “weaving elaborate fictions” and making it
“more difficult for those who are legitimately seeking refuge in this
country.”
The indictments charged employees of at least 10 law firms, the authorities
said. In the past few years, the firms filed more than 1,900 asylum
applications, according to the indictments; officials did not say how many
they believe were fraudulent.
Tuesday’s operation appeared to be among the largest roundups of lawyers
and their associates in New York City in connection with asylum fraud
allegations. Even so, the federal indictments only hinted at the
pervasiveness of immigration fraud within the Chinese diaspora, experts said.
Peter Kwong, a professor of Asian-American studies and urban affairs at
Hunter College, said he believed most Chinese asylum cases in New York City
were fraudulent. “This is an industry,” Mr. Kwong said. “Everybody knows
about it, and these violations go on all the time.”
Immigrants can apply for asylum within a year of arriving in the United
States and may qualify if they can show that they have suffered persecution
or have a “well-founded fear of future persecution” on the basis of race,
religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political
opinion.
Far more Chinese immigrants seek and receive asylum in the United States
than any other group, government figures show. In fiscal year 2011, about 8,
600 Chinese immigrants received asylum, or more than 34 percent of all
successful asylum seekers.
The investigation began after federal immigration officials in New York told
investigators they were seeing similarities in many of the cases they were
handling, according to an official briefed on the investigation.
In many of the cases reviewed by investigators, Chinese immigrants said they
had been persecuted for being Christian or followers of Falun Gong. Others
said they were persecuted for their political leanings. Yet others claimed
they had suffered forcible abortions under China’s family-planning rules,
the authorities said.
But investigators determined that many of the asylum applicants “had not
actually suffered persecution in China,” according to the indictments.
In exchange for money, the indictments state, “the law firm would make up a
story of persecution and the client would need to memorize that story.”
Many of the law firms referred clients to the Full Gospel Church in Flushing
, where they would meet with a church official, Liying Lin, prosecutors said.
Ms. Lin, 29, provided services to asylum seekers including “training in the
basic tenets of Christianity,” prosecutors said. But much of Ms. Lin’s
instruction was specifically aimed at tricking the immigration authorities,
according to the indictment against her, which claimed that she “trained
asylum applicants on what questions about religious belief would be asked
during an asylum interview and coached the clients on how to answer.”
In return for such instruction, applicants “were expected to make cash
donations.” For an additional price, Ms. Lin provided certificates showing
“the client’s attendance at church and/or the client’s baptism,”
according to the indictment.
All 26 defendants were charged with conspiring to commit immigration fraud.
They were awaiting arraignment Tuesday night.
Jeffrey E. Singer contributed reporting.
F.B.I. agents during a raid in Chinatown in Manhattan on Tuesday. Twenty-six
people, including six lawyers and employees of at least 10 law firms, were
arrested in what the authorities said was a plot to orchestrate false asylum
claims for Chinese immigrants. | l**********t
发帖数: 5754 | 2 ｔｈａｎｋｓ ｆｏｒ ｓｈａｒｉｎｇ．
Prepped
on
Manhattan
【在 D*****r 的大作中提到】
: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/nyregion/law-firms-accused-of
: By JOSEPH GOLDSTEIN and KIRK SEMPLE
: Published: December 18, 2012
: They invented woeful tales of persecution for their Chinese clients. Prepped
: them on how to lie about having had a forced abortion. Even tutored them on
: religion.
: In all, 26 people, including 6 lawyers, were charged Tuesday with helping
: Chinese immigrants submit false asylum claims in an effort to stay in the
: United States, law enforcement officials said.
: The indictments describe elaborate schemes based in law offices in Manhattan
| l*****a
发帖数: 38403 | 3 good point
【在 l**********t 的大作中提到】
: ｔｈａｎｋｓ ｆｏｒ ｓｈａｒｉｎｇ．
:
: Prepped
: on
: Manhattan
|
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