The new ombudsman at the government’s chief immigration benefits agency is a longtime backer of stricter immigration policies, drawing an overheated response from advocacy groups who accused her of being a “white supremacist.”
Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said Tuesday that he’s tapped Julie Kirchner to field complaints and suggest improvements in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Ms. Kirchner was formerly executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, and more recently was an adviser to the border commissioner.
Her work at FAIR drew a sharp response from immigrant-rights groups who have regularly battled the crackdown organization.
“This is putting the fox in charge of the hen house,” said Lynn Tramonte, deputy director of America’s Voice Education Fund. “The USCIS Ombudsman is supposed to help immigrants and American citizens resolve issues with the bureaucracy. As someone who has spent her career demonizing immigrants and immigration, Kirchner is certainly not qualified for this position.”
United We Dream, another group, called Ms. Kirchner a “white supremacist” — though it offered no specific proof other than calling FAIR a “hate group.”
The ombudsman’s role is to be an independent point of contact for people who struggle with the bureaucracy at USCIS, and to suggest changes to the agency.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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