Family reunification is a cornerstone of U.S. immigration policy, but it has a dark and disturbing side. In the context of processing overseas refugees who are trying to enter the U.S., it takes the form of the Priority Three or P-3 family reunification program.

A shockwave rippled through the overseas P-3 program in 2008 when pilot DNA testing revealed massive, almost universal, 100 percent fraud in claims of familial relationships. It was the greatest refugee fraud crisis in immigration history, and understandably led to the suspension of the overseas reunification program. It only restarted four years later, in 2012, with a permanent DNA screening requirement.