ABCDE Partly sunny 39/25 • Tomorrow Partly sunny 38/23 • details, B6


Customs pushed envelope to hit goal


Workers say voluntary returns were stressed to boost deportations


BY ANDREW BECKER Center for


Investigative Reporting For much of this year, the


Obama administration touted its tougher-than-ever approach to immigration enforcement, culmi- nating in a record number of deportations. But in reaching 392,862 depor-


tations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement included more than 19,000 immigrants whohad exited the previous fiscal year, according to agency statis- tics. ICE also ran aMexican repa- triation program five weeks lon- ger than ever before, allowing the agency to count at least 6,500 exits that, without the program, would normally have been tallied by theU.S. Border Patrol. When ICE officials realized in


the final weeks of the fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, that the agency still was in jeopardy of falling short of last year’smark, it scrambled to reach the goal. Offi- cials quietly directed immigra- tion officers to bypass backlogged immigration courts and time- consuming deportation hearings whenever possible, internal e- mails and interviews show. Instead, officials told immigra-


tion officers to encourage eligible foreignnationals toacceptaquick pass to their countries without a negative mark on their immigra- tion record, ICE employees said. The option, known as volun-


tary return, may have allowed hundreds of immigrants — who typically would have gone before an immigration judge to contest deportation for offenses such as drunken driving, domestic vio- lence andmisdemeanor assault— to leave the country. A voluntary return doesn’t bar a foreigner from applying for legal residence or travelingtotheUnitedStates in the future. Once the agency closed the


books for fiscal 2010 and the re- cord was broken, agents say they


ice continued onA4 MONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2010


MORE OPEN TO TALIBAN TALKS


But confidence is up in areas of military focus


BY RAJIV CHANDRASEKARAN AND JON COHEN


Afghans are more pessimistic


about the direction of their coun- try, less confident in the ability of the United States and its allies to provide security and more will- ing to negotiate with the Taliban thantheywere a year ago, accord- ing to a new poll conducted in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. But residents of two key south-


ern provinces that have been the focus of U.S. military operations over the past year say aspects of their security and living condi- tions have improved significantly since last December. The new poll — conducted by


JOHN MCDONNELL/THE WASHINGTON POST DonovanMcNabb is in danger of compiling his first losing season since his rookie year in 1999.


Redskins arrive at yearly lament Another blowout loss leaves team searching for answers, looking to the future


BY BARRY SVRLUGA IN EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.


E


arly in the fourth quarter Sunday, Washington Red- skins quarterback Donovan


McNabb walked slowly off the field at New Meadowlands Stadi- um.He looked first at the ground, andthentiltedhisheaduptoward one of the giant video boards that showreplays to the crowd.On the screen, McNabb watched the lat- est sign of why the Redskins will almost certainlymiss the playoffs for the ninth time in 11 years: one


U.S. raises pressure on China to rein in N. Korea


Says leaders enable Pyongyang on uranium and attacks on South


BY JOHN POMFRET The United States has stepped


up diplomatic pressure on China by accusing its leaders of “en- abling” North Korea to start a uranium-enrichment program and to launch attacks on South Korea, a senior U.S. administra- tion official said this weekend. In response to the North Kore-


an moves and apparent Chinese acquiescence, Washington is moving to redefine its relation- ship with SouthKorea and Japan, potentially creating an anti-Chi- na bloc in Northeast Asia that officials say they don’t want but


may need. In meetings with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing and in Washington since North Korea launched a deadly artillery bar- rage at a South Korean island on Nov. 23, U.S. officials have charged that China is turning a blind eye to North Korean viola- tions of U.N. Security Council resolutions, international agree- ments and a 1953 armistice halt- ing the Korean War that China helped to negotiate. Theaccusationsmarka further


deterioration of the tone and direction of the U.S. relationship with Asia’s emerging giant and come as both countries prepare for a second summit next month between President Obama and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jin- tao.


n. korea continued onA7


Giants 31, Redskins 7 Though healthy, high-priced Albert Haynesworth sits out. D1


The final straw Boswell: Haynesworth isn’t a pro, so let him go. Now. D1


Extreme makeover Wise: Time to stop pretending and start rebuilding. D1


of his passes, easily intercepted in theendzone,another indignityon yet another long day. TheRedskins’over-by-halftime 31-7 loss to the New York Giants


Kicking off the Honors


may not have mathematically eliminated the team from post- season play. But with a record of 5-7, the teamthat entered the sea- son with considerable optimism — having brought in McNabb, a six-time Pro Bowler, as its new quarterback andMike Shanahan, a two-time Super Bowlwinner, as its new coach — is now an after- thought in the National Football Conference’s playoff race. Wash- ington has captured one victory sinceOctober, and on Sunday, the rival Giants — who are tied with


redskins continued onA18


TheWashington Post, ABCNews, the British Broadcasting Corp. and ARD television of Germany — found a particularly notable shift in public opinion in Hel- mand province, where Marines have been conducting intensive counterinsurgency operations. The number of people in Hel- mand describing their security as “good” jumped from14 percent in a December 2009 poll to 67 per- cent now. Nearly two-thirds of Helmand residents now say Af- ghanistan is on the right track. In Helmand and in neighbor-


ing Kandahar, the percentage of residents reporting threatening nighttime letters from the Tali- ban has been sliced in half. Public assessments of the U.S. military efforts in the area have also improved over the year, but 79 percent of people in the two provinces say American and al- lied troops should start their


withdrawal next summer or sooner. The changes in Helmand and


Kandahar bolster claims by se- nior U.S. military officials, in- cluding Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top coalition commander, that the application of greater combat power and civilian assis- tance is starting tomake a differ- ence. But the results also lay bare the challenge that remains in encouragingmore Afghans to re- pudiate the insurgency and cast their lot with the government. “We clearly have to continue to


provide the message to the Af- ghan people about why we’re here and what it is that we want to do, not just for our own nation- al objectives and coalition objec- tives but also for the people of this country and for the govern- ment of Afghanistan,” Petraeus said Sunday in Kabul in an inter- view with ABC News about the poll. Nationwide, more than half of


Afghans interviewed said U.S. and NATO forces should begin to leave the country in mid-2011 or earlier.More Afghans than a year ago see the United States as playing a negative role inAfghan- istan, and support for President Obama’s troop surge has faded. A year ago, 61 percent of Afghans supported the deployment of 30,000 additional U.S. troops. In


afghan continued onA14


House rookies meet ‘new day’ the old way


Big-money fundraisers a post-election reality for GOP freshman class


BY DAN EGGEN After Francisco “Quico” Can-


seco beat Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D- Tex.) as part of the Republican waveonNov.2, theteapartyfavor- itedeclared: “It’sgoingtobeanew day inWashington.” Twoweeks later,Cansecowas in


the heart of Washington for a $1,000-a-head fundraiser at the Capitol Hill Club. The event — hosted by Reps. Pete Sessions (R- Tex.) and Jeb Hensarling (R-Tex.) — was aimed at paying off more than $1.1 million in campaign debts rackedupbyCanseco,much of it fromhis ownpocket. After winning election with an


anti-Washington battle cry, Can- seco and other incomingRepubli- can freshmen have rapidly em- braced the capital’s culture of big- money fundraisers, according to new campaign finance reports andother records. Dozens of freshmanlawmakers


LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST


Oprah Winfrey and PaulMcCartney, both honorees, stand for the national anthem at theKennedy CenterHonors celebration Sunday night.6For full coverage of the festivities, including more photos, see Style, Page C1, and visit washingtonpost.com.


INSIDE


STYLE1 A chestnut that sizzles


The Washington Ballet presents the holiday tradition that is “The Nutcracker” with gorgeous aplomb. C1


POLITICS&THENATION A deal on tax cuts?


Senate GOP leaders talk of an accord to extend the Bush cuts along with jobless benefits. A3


BUSINESS NEWS..............A16 CLASSIFIEDS......................E1 COMICS..............................C7


EDITORIALS/LETTERS.....A22 FED PAGE.........................A21 GOING OUT GUIDE............C10


LOTTERIES.........................B4 MOVIES..............................C4 OBITUARIES.......................B5


THEREGION Newand old in Md.


As Prince George’s gets a new county executive, Montgomery swears in a familiar face. B1, B4


Delays on the VRE Riders express frustration with the rail service. B1


THEENVIRONMENT The owl’s precarious perch in India A bird revered for its power is endangered by illegal trade for its use in tribal black-magic rituals. A9


KIDSPOST........................C10 TELEVISION.......................C6 WORLD NEWS..................A10


Printed using recycled fiber


SPORTS Nationals sign JaysonWerth


A seven-year, $126 million deal brings the free agent from Philadelphia. D1


DAILY CODE Details, B2


4 5 8 8 OPINIONS


Yang Jianli: China, let Liu Xiaobo’s wife accept his Nobel Peace Prize. A23


Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu: Why we must end child marriage. A23





The Washington Post Year 134, No. 1


CONTENT © 2010


have held receptions at Capitol Hill bistros and corporate town- houses in recent weeks, taking moneyfromKStreet lobbyistsand other power brokers within days


of their victories. Newly elected House members have raised at least $2million since the election, according to preliminary Federal Election Commission records filed last week, and many more contributions have yet to be tal- lied. The aggressive fundraising ef-


forts underscore the financial pressures facing newmembers of Congress even before they take their seats.The contributions also representasymbolic challenge for the Republican Class of 2010, whichmakes up the vastmajority of first-timemembers of the 112th Congress. Many of them won of- ficebyrunningagainst thewaysof official Washington and monied interests. “The lobbyists are all saying,


‘Welcome to Washington; let me help pay off your debt,’ ” saidNan- cy Watzman, who tracks political fundraisers for the SunlightFoun- dation, a watchdog group. “It’s particularly interesting when so many of this year’s freshmenwere running againstWashington. But as soon as they get elected, they come to Washington and put out theirhand.” But GOP officials and legisla-


tive aides defend the fundraising push as simple pragmatism: the cost ofwinning office in Congress


fundraisers continued onA6


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Afghans’ faith in U.S. falters


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