ICE Security Information, Notes, Research, Or Other Matters Concerning Political Fugitives, Most Wanted Individuals, Or Relatives Of Such Using The EB-5 Program
It is a clone of this request.
| Tracking # |
2018-ICFO-39183 |
| Submitted | Nov. 24, 2017 |
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Communications
From: Taylor Scott Amarel
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
To whom this may concern,
I am seeking all records within the ICE that relate to Political Fugitives, Most Wanted Individuals, or relatives of such individuals using/investing in the EB-5 Program. These documents are known to exist because members of congress, other federal agencies, and former officers of the USCIS/DHS have admitted that a number of "most wanted" individuals have invested through the EB-5 program. These individuals are often on China's 100 most wanted list, are related to one of the most wanted individuals, or have political/business connections to those who are wanted for political persecution and or crimes - such as embezzling government funds, corruption, etc.
As a specific instance, there is evidence within the USCIS that relatives (at least Bo Guagua and Li Wangzhi) of Bo Xilai, Former Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, have used the EB-5 program to invest in a unspecified New York based EB-5 project that may be located near or adjacent to Columbia University. This is just one instance of high level, potentially wanted, individuals with often dangerous backgrounds may be utilizing the EB-5 program to obtain citizenship and residence within the US. I would like to obtain all records, memos, notices, and other documents pertaining to the acknowledgement of these types of individuals filing EB-5 petitions, any special instructions given to EB-5 adjudicators, whether or not additional background research is done on these individuals, and whether the USCIS enlists the help of additional law enforcement agencies to vet these unusual applicants.
Once again, these documents are known to exist, and may be in the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate office, or an inter-agency working groups that may consist of the SEC, USCIS, DHS, HSI, etc. As further proof that these records exist, when the FBI raided a fake investment company in California, it was discovered that numerous "most wanted" individuals had obtained residence and even citizenship through a fake investment scheme discussed here: http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2085287/scheme-wealthy-chinese-get-us-visas-busted
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Taylor Scott Amarel
From: Taylor Scott Amarel
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
To whom this may concern,
I am seeking all records within the ICE that relate to Political Fugitives, Most Wanted Individuals, or relatives of such individuals using/investing in the EB-5 Program. These documents are known to exist because members of congress, other federal agencies, and former officers of the USCIS/DHS have admitted that a number of "most wanted" individuals have invested through the EB-5 program. These individuals are often on China's 100 most wanted list, are related to one of the most wanted individuals, or have political/business connections to those who are wanted for political persecution and or crimes - such as embezzling government funds, corruption, etc.
As a specific instance, there is evidence within the USCIS that relatives (at least Bo Guagua and Li Wangzhi) of Bo Xilai, Former Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, have used the EB-5 program to invest in a unspecified New York based EB-5 project that may be located near or adjacent to Columbia University. This is just one instance of high level, potentially wanted, individuals with often dangerous backgrounds may be utilizing the EB-5 program to obtain citizenship and residence within the US. I would like to obtain all records, memos, notices, and other documents pertaining to the acknowledgement of these types of individuals filing EB-5 petitions, any special instructions given to EB-5 adjudicators, whether or not additional background research is done on these individuals, and whether the USCIS enlists the help of additional law enforcement agencies to vet these unusual applicants.
Once again, these documents are known to exist, and may be in the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate office, or an inter-agency working groups that may consist of the SEC, USCIS, DHS, HSI, etc. As further proof that these records exist, when the FBI raided a fake investment company in California, it was discovered that numerous "most wanted" individuals had obtained residence and even citizenship through a fake investment scheme discussed here: http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2085287/scheme-wealthy-chinese-get-us-visas-busted
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Taylor Scott Amarel
From: Taylor Scott Amarel
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
To whom this may concern,
I am seeking all records within the ICE that relate to Political Fugitives, Most Wanted Individuals, or relatives of such individuals using/investing in the EB-5 Program. These documents are known to exist because members of congress, other federal agencies, and former officers of the USCIS/DHS have admitted that a number of "most wanted" individuals have invested through the EB-5 program. These individuals are often on China's 100 most wanted list, are related to one of the most wanted individuals, or have political/business connections to those who are wanted for political persecution and or crimes - such as embezzling government funds, corruption, etc.
As a specific instance, there is evidence within the USCIS that relatives (at least Bo Guagua and Li Wangzhi) of Bo Xilai, Former Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, have used the EB-5 program to invest in a unspecified New York based EB-5 project that may be located near or adjacent to Columbia University. This is just one instance of high level, potentially wanted, individuals with often dangerous backgrounds may be utilizing the EB-5 program to obtain citizenship and residence within the US. I would like to obtain all records, memos, notices, and other documents pertaining to the acknowledgement of these types of individuals filing EB-5 petitions, any special instructions given to EB-5 adjudicators, whether or not additional background research is done on these individuals, and whether the USCIS enlists the help of additional law enforcement agencies to vet these unusual applicants.
Once again, these documents are known to exist, and may be in the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate office, or an inter-agency working groups that may consist of the SEC, USCIS, DHS, HSI, etc. As further proof that these records exist, when the FBI raided a fake investment company in California, it was discovered that numerous "most wanted" individuals had obtained residence and even citizenship through a fake investment scheme discussed here: http://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/2085287/scheme-wealthy-chinese-get-us-visas-busted
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Taylor Scott Amarel
From: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
May 31, 2018 Taylor Amarel MUCKROCK DEPT MR 46130 411A Highland Ave, MA 02144 RE: ICE FOIA Case Number 2018-ICFO-39183 Dear Mr. Amarel: This acknowledges receipt of your May 20, 2018, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), for all records within the ICE that relate to Political Fugitives, Most Wanted Individuals, or relatives of such individuals using/investing in the EB-5 Program. These documents are known to exist because members of congress, other federal agencies, and former officers of the USCIS/DHS have admitted that a number of "most wanted" individuals have invested through the EB-5 program. These individuals are often on China's 100 most wanted list, are related to one of the most wanted individuals, or have political/business connections to those who are wanted for political persecution and or crimes - such as embezzling government funds, corruption, etc (see request for more detail). Your request was received in this office on May 20, 2018. Due to the increasing number of FOIA requests received by this office, we may encounter some delay in processing your request. Per Section 5.5(a) of the DHS FOIA regulations, 6 C.F.R. Part 5, ICE processes FOIA requests according to their order of receipt. Although ICE’s goal is to respond within 20 business days of receipt of your request, the FOIA does permit a 10- day extension of this time period. As your request seeks numerous documents that will necessitate a thorough and wide-ranging search, ICE will invoke a 10-day extension for your request, as allowed by Title 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B). If you care to narrow the scope of your request, please contact our office. We will make every effort to comply with your request in a timely manner. Provisions of the FOIA allow us to recover part of the cost of complying with your request. We shall charge you for records in accordance with the DHS Interim FOIA regulations, as they apply to media requesters. As a media requester, you will be charged 10 cents per page for duplication; the first 100 pages are free. We will construe the submission of your request as an agreement to pay up to $25.00. You will be contacted before any further fees are accrued. We have queried the appropriate program offices within ICE for responsive records. If any responsive records are located, they will be reviewed for determination of releasability. Please be assured that one of the processors in our office will respond to your request as expeditiously as possible. We appreciate your patience as we proceed with your request.
Your request has been assigned reference number 2018-ICFO-39183. Please refer to this identifier in any future correspondence. To check the status of an ICE FOIA/PA request, please visit . Please note that to check the status of a request, you must enter the 2018-ICFO-XXXXX tracking number. If you need any further assistance or would like to discuss any aspect of your request, please contact the FOIA office. You may send an e-mail to ice-foia@ice.dhs.gov, call toll free (866) 633-1182, or you may contact our FOIA Public Liaison, Fernando Pineiro, in the same manner. Additionally, you have a right to right to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) which mediates disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. If you are requesting access to your own records (which is considered a Privacy Act request), you should know that OGIS does not have the authority to handle requests made under the Privacy Act of 1974. You may contact OGIS as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769. (http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status) http://www.dhs.gov/foia-status
Regards,
ICE FOIA Office
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Freedom of Information Act Office
500 12th Street, S.W., Stop 5009
Washington, D.C. 20536-5009
Telephone: 1-866-633-1182
Visit our FOIA website at
www.ice.gov/foia
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
July 18, 2018 Taylor Amarel MUCKROCK DEPT MR 46130 411A Highland Ave, MA 02144 requests@muckrock.com (mailto:requests@muckrock.com) RE: ICE FOIA Case Number 2018-ICFO-39183
We are in receipt of your email dated 7/2/2018 regarding the status of your FOIA request 2018-ICFO-39183. This request is currently being processed by an analyst. There are no further updates at thistime. Regards, ICE FOIA
From: Taylor Scott Amarel
Thank you very much
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Good evening, In regards to 2018-ICFO-39183, document(s) responsive to your request have been located and forwarded to this office for review. We will process your request as expeditiously as possible. Upon completion of the processing, all documents that can be released will be made available to you at the earliest possible date. We sincerely apologize for the delay you are experiencing and appreciate your continued patience. Sincerely, ICE FOIA
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Good afternoon,
Your request is currently in the queue to be processed by an analyst. Upon completion of the processing, all documents that can be released will be made available to you at the earliest possible date. Requests are processed on a first in, first out basis and timing can vary greatly depending on the volume of responsive documents received. We do apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience.
Sincerely,
ICE/FOIA
-
~WRD000
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Taylor Scott Amarel
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on Nov. 24, 2017. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2018-ICFO-39183.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Dear Taylor Amarel,
The password to open the responsive records delivered in a separate email for 2018-ICFO-39183 is listed below. If you do not receive the email containing the responsive documents within a reasonable timeframe please contact our office at .
Document Password: RW14efnk
Sincerely,
US DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement FOIA Office
From: Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Mr. Amarel,
ICE's final response to your FOIA request, 2018-ICFO-39183, for all records within the ICE that relate to Political Fugitives, Most Wanted Individuals, or relatives of such individuals using/investing in the EB-5 Program. These documents are known to exist because members of congress, other federal agencies, and former officers of the USCIS/DHS have admitted that a number of "most wanted" individuals have invested through the EB-5 program. These individuals are often on China's 100 most wanted list, are related to one of the most wanted individuals, or have political/business connections to those who are wanted for political persecution and or crimes - such as embezzling government funds, corruption, etc (see request for more detail) is attached.
Please note that the attachment may be password protected. If you are prompted to enter a password when opening the attachment and you did not receive a password it may be in your junk/spam folder.
Sincerely,
ICE FOIA
-
2018-ICFO-39183