The headline is eye catching, “Father of Miss Oregon investigated on suspicion of visa fraud,” and the story that follows raises lots of questions. See the Oregonian article here.
U.S. immigration officials are investigating the father of the reigning Miss Oregon on suspicion of visa fraud after an international war crimes tribunal reported that he had served in a military unit that slaughtered unarmed Muslims in Bosnia in 1995.
Federal prosecutors say that Serbian national Milenko Krstic, 52, father of Miss Oregon Danijela Krstic, 24, lied in 1998 when he was applying for refugee status, stating under oath that he had never served in the military.
How many other refugees lie on their form I-590? How about all those Somalis that are believed to be in the country illegally? Did some of those perhaps serve in some military in war torn Africa, but reported they hadn’t?
In 1998, three years after leaving the military, Krstic and his family emigrated to the United States. As part of a refugee application, he filled out an I-590 form, which requires, among other things, applicants to disclose foreign military service.
Go back to the Oregonian and read about the ins and outs of the case that has been dismissed in a lower court. Federal prosecutors have appealed. ICE is taking it very seriously.
If the case against Krstic proceeds and he is convicted of visa fraud, he could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. He and his family also could be deported, immigration officials said.
“I can’t speak specifically to his case,” said Lorie Dankers, spokeswoman for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “But if a person receives their immigration benefit based on a family member who got theirs fraudulently, then an immigration judge may find that family members could lose that benefit as well.”
So, if refugees lied on their applications they can be jailed and fined, or they and their family can be deported.
Endnote: Between 1983 and 2005 we resettled 168,972 refugees from the former Yugoslavia. In records unavailable to the general public we learned that over 100,000 of those are Bosnian Muslims.