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Former Director Meighan Points Fingers At Subordinates
posted (January 19, 2017)
So, as you saw, fingers were being pointed at directly identified Immigration Officers yet not much was done in that instance. Meighan directed blame to the officers under her for those 15 Asians who got their visas and permanent residency documents approved within a short period of time. She says that she trusted the vetting process of the immigration officers who passed these applications along, and so she did not know that they should not have qualified because there were forgeries she couldn't detect.

When the Senate asked her about the process she shared how the process works, and how forgeries got past her. Here's that conversation:

Hon. Aldo Salazar, Chairman - Senate Select Committee
"Miss Meighan, I'm trying to understand what could have happen. There must have been some activity happening with the stamp that you would have reviewed because clearly that person would not have landed on the date evidence by that stamp. Thats the explanation that you are giving that you would base your approval based on the stamp on the photocopy of the passport. But when comparison goes back, the person could not have been here if they never had a visa. Who would accept the visa application?"

Ruth Meighan - Former Director of Immigration
"Who would accept? It depends."

Hon. Aldo Salazar, Chairman - Senate Select Committee
"I'm sorry, the application permanent residency."

Ruth Meighan - Former Director of Immigration
"Its the clerk at the front desk."

Hon. Aldo Salazar, Chairman - Senate Select Committee
"I can see who accepted it, Miss Ady Pacheco. Who was the next person in line in terms of permanent residency?"

Ruth Meighan - Former Director of Immigration
"It would have been Miss Pacheco and Mr. Wade."

Hon. Aldo Salazar, Chairman - Senate Select Committee
"If you are not sure, I want you to tell me."

Ruth Meighan - Former Director of Immigration
"Mr. Wade was the officer in charge of nationality and PR."

Hon. Aldo Salazar, Chairman - Senate Select Committee
"So permanent residency would have been Mr. Wade?"

Ruth Meighan - Former Director of Immigration
"Under his section, yes."

Hon. Aldo Salazar, Chairman - Senate Select Committee
"What would have been the role of Miss Ady Pacheco?"

Ruth Meighan - Former Director of Immigration
"We had try to put in place new system where we had a counter supervisor and I think that was the position that Miss Ady Pacheco, I am not certain, but almost certain that she was the counter supervisor then."

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