Daraine Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Illegal aliens in the United States are making it difficult for Jamaican authorities and United States immigration officials to ascertain their true identity.

A former immigration agent told The Sunday Gleaner that the practice of illegal aliens changing their names and acquiring a new identity is common in the U.S. and it often creates problems if these persons are to be deported.

"If I was collecting one dollar for each of the cases I have heard, I would have a brand new Porsche in my driveway," the agent joked.

His statement was in response to a case now under investigation in Jamaica. Linden Winston Graham, who was deported from the United States in July last year, has claimed to be a St. Croix national. He says he was sent to Jamaica due to mistaken identity, a battle he has been fighting since 2003.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force's immigration, citizenship and passport division was forced to commence investigation into the case soon after Graham landed in Jamaica. More than six months after landing, police are yet to bring full closure to the case and he still languishes in protective custody, awaiting his fate.

Leighton Wilson, director of immigration, citizenship and passport services, has confirmed Graham is not a Jamaican but is reluctant to blame the overseas consulate which processed Graham's information and erroneously confirmed he was Jamaican.

Questioned as to what might have gone wrong, which might have led to Jamaica's foreign missions granting travel documents to a non-Jamaican, Leighton only says mistakes do happen.

MORE DETAILED CHECKS

"In all fairness to foreign missions, they have limited scope. They go by certain information presented, while locally there will be more detailed checks. It happens sometimes where persons may slip through because it is such a close call. There is not necessarily the deep level of investigative machinery in place there," he said.

Graham, who has threatened to sue both the Jamaican and U.S. Govern-ments for wrongfully deporting him to Jamaica and keeping him in what he described as "inhumane" conditions, says he is from the 28-mile long Caribbean Island of St. Croix.

The former immigration officer warned that Graham's story should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt. Having done more than 30 years of tracking down and investigating immigration fraud, he says a pattern often emerges where persons claim a U.S. Virgin Islands nationality so that if deported, they may have an easy shot of reaching the mainland once again.

"I am always very suspicious when there are so many coincidences, which prevent you from identifying who you are ... But he could be telling the truth," he says.

While the verdict is still out as to the nationality of the deportee, the former agent has renewed his call for the use of better technology in immigration cases.

"We have got to use biometrics because people lie about their identities all the time. If we have records of fingerprints, iris scans, DNA ... then we know for sure who you are dealing with. But when you have to rely on people telling you who they really are, there is always a problem," he told The Sunday Gleaner.