A bouncer can spot a fake ID at the nightclub door or a fraternity knows who they kicked out of previous house parties, yet the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s agency, which is responsible for processing citizenship applications, can’t keep track of who does and does not belong here, even though the applicants for citizenship must provide fingerprints?

Those fingerprints are checked against Homeland Security and FBI databases, yet not all fingerprints of older applications are digitized. About 858 immigrants who were ordered out of the country hailed from countries known for immigration fraud or a national security threat. They made new applications for citizenship under different identities and fingerprint checks failed to flag them as repeat or unwanted. They were inadvertently granted citizenship and, before officials caught on, two of the 858 received credentials allowing them to work in secure areas of commercial airports.

While naturalization status can be revoked, the government has gone after few of those who squeaked through. Plus, these naturalized citizens have the right to petition for others to come into the United States and the right to work in law enforcement.

Concerned American want improvements on citizenship screening and upgrades to fingerprint databases. It’s time these agencies take their responsibilities seriously and, if they make a mistake, it should be corrected.