An internal audit has revealed that the Biden administration’s migrant sponsor program, which allows migrants to enter the U.S. without a legal visa, has been exploited by fraudsters. The program, designed to help migrants from countries such as Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela enter the U.S. with the support of U.S.-based sponsors, has opened the door for scammers to steal Americans’ identities, according to a report from Michael Mayhew, head of the Immigration Records and Identity Services division at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
The 23-page audit, which was originally intended for the agency’s senior leadership, identified numerous loopholes in the sponsor approval process, making it difficult to detect fraud. Mayhew noted that there were minimal barriers to filing applications, leading to high rates of fraud, exploitation, and duplicate filings. Scammers, including gang members, were reportedly applying to become sponsors using the names of deceased individuals. Due to limited staffing, the program struggled to catch these fraudulent applications, leaving both migrants and U.S. citizens vulnerable to exploitation and identity theft.
In one shocking instance, a fraudster attempted to file an application using the passport number of former First Lady Michelle Obama. This, along with other cases of identity theft, raised significant concerns about the program’s integrity.
Mayhew recommended 40 changes to the program to address the rampant fraud, prompting the administration to temporarily pause the program. After implementing some of the recommendations, the program resumed at the end of last month. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has since claimed that the new procedures, combined with rigorous vetting, have strengthened the program and helped prevent further exploitation.
Despite these measures, former senior agency officials remain skeptical. Emilio Gonzalez, who led USCIS during the Bush administration, expressed doubts about the program’s future, arguing that the administration is more focused on pushing people through the system than properly vetting them. Gonzalez suggested that the administration prioritizes processing migrants over addressing the security risks, saying the focus is on “getting as many people through the door as possible” without adequately managing the consequences.
Under the current system, American citizens, residents, and legal immigrants can sponsor migrants, provided they agree to financially support them. Migrants are granted two-year work permits under the humanitarian parole authority, allowing them to live and work in the U.S. for a limited period.