tyler — This, from "The Daily."

Higher-ups within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services are pressuring rank-and-file officers to rubber-stamp immigrants' visa applications, sometimes against the officers' will.

This according to a Homeland Security report and internal documents exclusively obtained by The Daily.

A 40-page report states that immigration service officers are under immense pressure to approve visa applications quickly, sometimes while overlooking concerns about fraud, eligibility or security.

One quarter of the 254 officers surveyed said they have been pressured to approve questionable cases, sometimes "against their will."

High-ranking USCIS officials said the pressure has heightened after the Obama administration appointed Alejandro Mayorkas as director in August 2009 during an effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform, bringing with him a mantra of "get to yes."

Info was leaked stating that the new leadership seemed to fundamentally clash with career agency employees over when to afford the benefit of the doubt, culminating in a whistle-blower investigation into a senior appointee and, ultimately, the agency-wide inspector general inquiry that produced the report.

At least five agency veterans seen as being too tough on applicants were either demoted, or given the choice between a demotion or a relocation from Southern California - where their families were - to San Francisco and Nebraska..

Those kind of threats have caused lower-level employees to fall in line, sources said.

Mayorkas and Homeland Security press officers said yesterday they could not comment on the allegations.

Why would the government allows this? Votes.

That's my point of view, what's yours?

You can email me at pov@ketknbc.com.