Citizenship scandal in US

Published September 8, 2002

LOS ANGELES, Sept 7: Authorities here have charged 14 people, some of them psychiatrists and psychologists, with helping immigrants obtain US citizenship without taking English literacy and civics tests.

According to the immigration and naturalization service (INS), immigrants from 14 countries, including Pakistan, filed suspect applications and that 90 per cent of the applicants came from Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

It said the case involved 600 immigrants in four US states. Sam Meklir, an attorney for one of the accused, said the indictments were an attempt by the INS “to flex their muscle” in the buildup to anniversary of the Sept 11 attacks.

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