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Mobilize national support for immigration citizenship, Catholic legal network urges
Catholic Online
6/1/2007
WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) – The U.S. government should mobilize national support of and expand the
opportunities for citizenship of immigrants as a linchpin in an emerging U.S. immigration integration strategy, said
the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC).
In a comprehensive report, “A More Perfect Union: A National Citizenship Plan,” that was more than two years
in the making and released May 31, CLINIC said that, while “the United States is a nation of immigrants united by
a common creed and shared values” and claims it wants “eligible immigrants to naturalize,” it does little to
encourage or assist them in that process.
“The United States lacks a coherent immigrant integration policy, much less a coordinated program to promote
citizenship and to prepare immigrants for naturalization,” the agency said. “The press policy question becomes:
what can be done to promote the integration” of the 37 million foreign-born residents in the country.
Pointing to the 8 million lawful permanent residents who may already qualify for naturalization and the millions
more that would be eligible in the near future, CLINIC, a subsidiary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
and the nation’s largest network of charitable immigration services, said that citizenship of immigrants benefits
both the individual who has migrated and the nation.
“The benefits of citizenship cannot be overstated. For individuals, these include the right to vote, faster family
reunification, better employment and educational opportunities, and a stronger attachment to the United States,”
the report said. “Citizenship can serve as a catalyst for immigrants to become more: dedicated to democratic
principles; informed about the Constitution; engaged in political elections; represented in the political system;
proficient in the English language; unified as families; employable in higher paying jobs; and integrated within a
wider circle of people and institutions.”
While noting that an estimated 90 percent of immigrants “strongly value U.S. citizenship,” CLINIC said that
despite that desire “millions do not apply to naturalize when eligible.”
The Catholic immigration agency pointed to such barriers as:
- Lack of proficiency in the English language by immigrants.
- Shortage of “high-quality and affordable English-language classes.
- Ignorance by immigrants of the legal requirements and benefits of naturalization.
- Shortage of professional application assistance.
- Inability to afford the continually rising application fees.
- Too little coordination between governmental and nongovernmental agencies working in immigration.
The report urges greater national support for immigrant citizenship. “Just as native and foreign-born persons
join together to celebrate citizenship at naturalization oath ceremonies, the nation should celebrate when
immigrants exercise their rights and assume their civic duties, whether as voters, workers, family members or
volunteers.”
“The time for a national citizenship program has arrived,” CLINIC said in the report.
It called on Congress to appropriate needed funds to the U.S. Ciitizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to
halt annual fee increases, reduce its backlogs and improve its technology for application processing and its
services to potentially eligible immigrants. “Adequate funding would allow USCIS to halt annual fee increases,
reduce its backlogs, and improve the technology for application processing and its customer services.” Unlike
USCIS’s fee raise, CLINIC’s plan “should ensure that all legal permanent residents have access to citizenship,
regardless of their socioeconomic class or ethnic background.” CLINIC urged that congressional funding should
also allow for better integration between those serving immigrants, including in: outreach, application
assistance, English as a second language (ESL), citizenship instruction and test preparation, legal
representation and post-naturalization services.
Outreach should include the highlighting of naturalization requirements, as well as the outlining of the benefits,
rights and responsibilities of citizenship,” the agency said.
CLINIC said greater efforts should be undertaken to ensure that naturalization-oath ceremonies be “the defining
moment of the citizenship process and a key feature of a national citizenship program.” It added that the USCIS
Office of Citizenship should do a better job in expanding and publicizing naturalization ceremonies “in order to
raise awareness about citizenship.”
The network of 161 affiliates in 262 field offices across the country called for the U.S. Congress to “pass a law
that broadens the English-language waiver for elderly citizenship applicants,” allowing those 60 years or older
to take U.S. history and civics test in their native language.
Further, CLINIC in the report urged that ESL and citizenship instruction be expanded and made available at
various language levels, including those for advanced students and those with low-literacy in English.
“Citizenship is a significant marker of immigrant integration and a pre-condition to full membership in our
constitutional democracy,” the document states. “U.S. political leaders must decide whether to continue the
status quo, laissez-faire approach to naturalization or to implement an immigrant integration initiative that actively
promotes citizenship.”
“It serves the national interest to promote citizenship, encourage integration, and allow immigrants to contribute
fully to the good of our nation. Our nation has been built by the contributions of newcomers of all backgrounds.
Raising the obstacles to integration goes against this proud legacy," said Donald Kerwin, CLINIC executive
director.
Catholic Online
6/1/2007
WASHINGTON (Catholic Online) – The U.S. government should mobilize national support of and expand the
opportunities for citizenship of immigrants as a linchpin in an emerging U.S. immigration integration strategy, said
the Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC).
In a comprehensive report, “A More Perfect Union: A National Citizenship Plan,” that was more than two years
in the making and released May 31, CLINIC said that, while “the United States is a nation of immigrants united by
a common creed and shared values” and claims it wants “eligible immigrants to naturalize,” it does little to
encourage or assist them in that process.
“The United States lacks a coherent immigrant integration policy, much less a coordinated program to promote
citizenship and to prepare immigrants for naturalization,” the agency said. “The press policy question becomes:
what can be done to promote the integration” of the 37 million foreign-born residents in the country.
Pointing to the 8 million lawful permanent residents who may already qualify for naturalization and the millions
more that would be eligible in the near future, CLINIC, a subsidiary of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
and the nation’s largest network of charitable immigration services, said that citizenship of immigrants benefits
both the individual who has migrated and the nation.
“The benefits of citizenship cannot be overstated. For individuals, these include the right to vote, faster family
reunification, better employment and educational opportunities, and a stronger attachment to the United States,”
the report said. “Citizenship can serve as a catalyst for immigrants to become more: dedicated to democratic
principles; informed about the Constitution; engaged in political elections; represented in the political system;
proficient in the English language; unified as families; employable in higher paying jobs; and integrated within a
wider circle of people and institutions.”
While noting that an estimated 90 percent of immigrants “strongly value U.S. citizenship,” CLINIC said that
despite that desire “millions do not apply to naturalize when eligible.”
The Catholic immigration agency pointed to such barriers as:
- Lack of proficiency in the English language by immigrants.
- Shortage of “high-quality and affordable English-language classes.
- Ignorance by immigrants of the legal requirements and benefits of naturalization.
- Shortage of professional application assistance.
- Inability to afford the continually rising application fees.
- Too little coordination between governmental and nongovernmental agencies working in immigration.
The report urges greater national support for immigrant citizenship. “Just as native and foreign-born persons
join together to celebrate citizenship at naturalization oath ceremonies, the nation should celebrate when
immigrants exercise their rights and assume their civic duties, whether as voters, workers, family members or
volunteers.”
“The time for a national citizenship program has arrived,” CLINIC said in the report.
It called on Congress to appropriate needed funds to the U.S. Ciitizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to
halt annual fee increases, reduce its backlogs and improve its technology for application processing and its
services to potentially eligible immigrants. “Adequate funding would allow USCIS to halt annual fee increases,
reduce its backlogs, and improve the technology for application processing and its customer services.” Unlike
USCIS’s fee raise, CLINIC’s plan “should ensure that all legal permanent residents have access to citizenship,
regardless of their socioeconomic class or ethnic background.” CLINIC urged that congressional funding should
also allow for better integration between those serving immigrants, including in: outreach, application
assistance, English as a second language (ESL), citizenship instruction and test preparation, legal
representation and post-naturalization services.
Outreach should include the highlighting of naturalization requirements, as well as the outlining of the benefits,
rights and responsibilities of citizenship,” the agency said.
CLINIC said greater efforts should be undertaken to ensure that naturalization-oath ceremonies be “the defining
moment of the citizenship process and a key feature of a national citizenship program.” It added that the USCIS
Office of Citizenship should do a better job in expanding and publicizing naturalization ceremonies “in order to
raise awareness about citizenship.”
The network of 161 affiliates in 262 field offices across the country called for the U.S. Congress to “pass a law
that broadens the English-language waiver for elderly citizenship applicants,” allowing those 60 years or older
to take U.S. history and civics test in their native language.
Further, CLINIC in the report urged that ESL and citizenship instruction be expanded and made available at
various language levels, including those for advanced students and those with low-literacy in English.
“Citizenship is a significant marker of immigrant integration and a pre-condition to full membership in our
constitutional democracy,” the document states. “U.S. political leaders must decide whether to continue the
status quo, laissez-faire approach to naturalization or to implement an immigrant integration initiative that actively
promotes citizenship.”
“It serves the national interest to promote citizenship, encourage integration, and allow immigrants to contribute
fully to the good of our nation. Our nation has been built by the contributions of newcomers of all backgrounds.
Raising the obstacles to integration goes against this proud legacy," said Donald Kerwin, CLINIC executive
director.
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