Immigration Field Office Failed in San Bernardino Aftermath, Says Report
3rd June 2016
The day after a San Bernardino, Calif., couple killed 14 people in a rampage, federal investigators thought they had a crucial bit of evidence.
The childhood friend and neighbor of one of the shooters was believed to be accompanying his Russian wife to a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services meeting that afternoon. Officials raced to the scene to bring the two in for questioning and to safeguard against the possibility of a second attack.
But when five agents from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), dressed in tactical gear, arrived shortly after noon, they were blocked from moving beyond the lobby of the building.
The agents were visibly anxious as they waited for up to 30 minutes before being able to speak to the field office director, who told them they could not make an arrest in the building. Only later was it discovered that the couple never arrived for their appointment.
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“The contract security personnel at the facility should have immediately permitted entry to the [Homeland Security Investigations] agents once they identified themselves and explained their official purpose,” the report claimed.
And, contrary to the field office head’s claims, the report claimed that there is no policy against making arrests in Citizenship and Immigration Services buildings.
What’s more, the field office director initially refused to hand over the file on the couple, until they were given an order from Washington after the investigators had already left.
Repeat after me: Government employees are incompetent. Government employees are incompetent. Government employees are incompetent.