21 May 2010

US officials probe American Samoa birth certificates

4:36 pm on 21 May 2010

Two officials of the U.S. State Department are in American Samoa as part of the federal government's probe in immigration matters in the territory.

Sources say the pair, who have been in the territory for more than two weeks, are working with local authorities on immigration issues, which include birth certificates.

This is part of an ongoing federal probe into fraudulent birth certificates from American Samoa resulting in the issuance of U.S. passports.

The U.S. Passport Office is a bureau of the State Department.

American Samoa's Department of Homeland Security director, Michael Sala, says the federal government is concerned about local immigration matters