I suppose I should not have been surprised, but it still was a bit of a jolt when I discovered at least two Internet sites where people were asking how to cheat on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) applications, and getting advice on how to do so.
What, asks one (presumably illegal) alien, "should I put for annual income?"
Another writer, probably not an alien, asks a more sophisticated version of the same question:
One of the most frequently asked questions has been regarding the question about annual income on the I-765 WS. It seems as though this question is a double-edged sword: you must prove your financial need for work, however, if you show that you have an income, you are expected to pay taxes. Is there a golden range that one must use in order to abstain from any future problems? Discuss your thoughts!
The I-765 WS is the Employment Authorization Document application used in the DACA program, the president's newly announced short-term amnesty program for aliens who came to the U.S. before their 16th birthday, and who are now under 31 years of age.
The right answer to the two questions, of course, is simply "tell the truth".
If that means you owe taxes, take care of that matter immediately, if you have not done so already.
Maybe the person asking the second question naively thinks that USCIS will check the applicant's stated income with the Internal Revenue Service. I am not privy to USCIS-IRS conversations on that point, but I would be blown away if that were done routinely. If USCIS is not going to the trouble of interviewing most DACA applicants, it certainly will not go the extra mile of checking income data with IRS.
Here's the full text of the first question, and the one reply that was on the web when I looked at it on the DREAM Act Portal Forum:
hey guys,
I'm working under my parents business and get paid cash.
It's a family business so I get paid every now and then a few $.
Sort of like a part time job / allowance.
I've never had a bank account nor have I ever paid taxes. I only have 1 expense under my name and thats a phone bill.
Sometimes I pay it otherwise my parents do.
what should I put for annual income?
what should I put down for expenses?
Should I mention I'll have future college bills?
And here's the one answer that was on the screen:
I went to an immigration officer today. She told me to add anything that I think will help me. She even said, "make this more meaty" as in, show you really, really, really need your work permit. You are a burden to your family thus you need a work permit. Hope this helps.
That was signed by [email protected]
Maybe Diana was talking with a USCIS officer, as she suggests, or maybe it was someone in non-governmental agency; regardless, you can see the mindset.
As to the second question, which appeared on DACA Field Report, there were no replies when I last looked.
As I understand these things, there is often a site monitor on such Internet exchanges, but if there were one on either of these two sites they either were asleep at the switch or perfectly happy to facilitate the publication of law-breaking questions and answers.
Incidentally, of the three people quoted above, 1) the young alien with a question, 2) the learned person with a question, and 3) Diana, I fault the latter two more than the first one, who seemed genuinely perplexed; the other two qualify as co-conspirators in my book.