Doctors With Criminal Records Examined Immigrants, Report Says

A new report released by the Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog found that doctors were not properly vetted, putting immigrants and U.S. citizens at risk.

Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

Some physicians who examined immigrants while working for the federal government had histories of diluting vaccinations, exploiting women and hiring a hit man to kill a dissatisfied patient, according to a scathing report released by the Department of Homeland Security’s internal watchdog.

The findings, released Friday by the Office of Inspector General, said the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services “designated physicians with a history of patient abuse or a criminal record as civil surgeons.”

Investigators, using site visits and records from October 2013 to June 2017, concluded that the agency lacked strong policies as officers made decisions about doctors who had applied to become what the department calls civil surgeons.