By Kim Malcolm, KERA 90.1 reporter
Dallas, TX – Kim Malcolm, KERA 90.1 reporter: On a recent blustery morning outside an INS office in Dallas, a group of young men are arriving for their interviews. Ali Raja is a tall, easygoing engineering graduate student from Texas Tech. He and his friends drove 6 hours to get here.
Ali Raja, foreign student: The registration process was fine, just fifteen minutes, it wasn't a big hassle, it's just the drive. I wish they could do it back in Lubbock; that would have been great.
Not everyone is as comfortable with the registration as Ali seems to be. According to the U.S. government, this policy only affects those here on temporary visas, like students or those on work permits. But rumors are flying among the thousands here without proper paperwork, as well as those waiting for permanent residency. Correctly or incorrectly, many are worried this registration could be the beginning of something more sinister, like deportation or even internment camps. Leaders in the Pakistani community are encouraging everyone who's eligible to register, but they're concerned about the personal information immigrants are asked to reveal. Rashid Dara is the president of the Pakistan Society of North Texas.
Rashid Dara, President, Pakistan Society of North Texas: In the interview they ask for your Social Security card, your driver's license, your credit card, email addresses. Some of these things we're asking why, what is the purpose behind it, and these are the things I've heard are being asked in the interview.
Malcolm: The American Civil Liberties Union is also questioning why the INS needs all that information. Annette Lamoreaux, the East Texas Regional Director of the ACLU, admits the law requiring registration isn't unconstitutional, but she worries about how it's being applied.
Annette Lamoreaux, East Texas Regional Director, American Civil Liberties Union: Although the INS says over time they plan to have all resident aliens registered, the only countries that they have chosen for the first four waves, are men from Muslim countries, with the exception of North Korea. So it's our position that this isn't just random.
Malcolm: The registration stems from a 1996 bill requiring the INS to register temporary residents from every country by 2005. It received little attention until the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Now the pressure is on the INS to account for temporary visa holders. Anne Estrada, the INS District Director for Dallas, has been praised by members of the Muslim community for working hard to get the word out about the need to register. She's visited mosques, attended seminars, and went on the local Asian radio station, KBIS, to answer questions.
KBIS Listener: So my question is, what do you say to people who are waiting for permanent status - for labor certification or investment visas - because of the INS backlog? What kind of relief can they be given?
Anne Estrada, Immigration and Naturalization Service District Director, Dallas: First of all, it's very, very important that they register, because it's a requirement of the law. Every case will be treated on a case-by-case basis.
Malcolm: But not everyone is willing to trust in the system. Many whose status is in limbo are weighing their options: should they stay, return to Pakistan, or apply to enter another country like Canada? Rashid Dara says at least ten families have packed up and left North Texas in the past month.
Rashid Dara: Well, the family conversations are gut-wrenching. Some fathers are deciding if they should leave their wife and kids here; some mothers are deciding should they go back, kids have to decide that, so the human tragedy is untold, and immeasurable in my opinion.
Malcolm: Those decisions need to be made soon. Dara estimates only 10% of those who need to register have done so, and he's expecting long line-ups before next Friday's deadline. For KERA 90.1, I'm Kim Malcolm.
To contact Kim Malcolm, please send emails to kmalcolm@kera.org.