home | contact us | get involved | donate now
- immigration expertise
- policy analysis
- extensive facts and figures
PROPOSED CITIZENSHIP FEE HIKE A BARRIER TO INTEGRATION
CLINIC’s New Citizenship Plan Recommends Increased Congressional Funding
February 1, 2007 press release in pdf
WASHINGTON, DC – The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) is deeply
concerned with the proposed increase in the application fee for U.S. citizenship. The U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposal to adjust fees for immigration and
naturalization applications raises them by 70%. The administration should find a solution
that promotes, rather than discourages, immigrant integration.
Just this week, CLINIC published a national citizenship plan, A More Perfect Union after
more than two years of research, writing, and interviewing more than 108 experts and
community advocates. One of its first recommendations is that Congress should help
fund application processing. The plan says, “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 proposed fee raise, CLINIC’s plan
“should ensure that all Legal Permanent Residents have access to citizenship, regardless
of their socioeconomic class or ethnic background.”
Donald Kerwin, CLINIC’s Executive Director, noted that “the administration should not
create more barriers to the President’s stated goal of immigrant integration.” In June 2006
President George W. Bush announced a plan “to create a ‘task force on new Americans’
to expand local initiatives to help immigrants integrate into American society.” This fee
increase would achieve the opposite. Discouraging low-income legal immigrants from
pursuing permanent resident status and citizenship is a strike against the integration
efforts of groups such as CLINIC.
Kerwin also stated that “it is clearly in the national interest to support immigrants seeking
citizenship. Encouraging integration through government-funded programs strengthens
national security. Inviting and involving immigrants in our society’s public institutions is
good for our nation.”
The United States is an immigrant nation which is strengthened by the contributions of
newcomers of all backgrounds. Raising the obstacles to integration goes against this
proud legacy.
see: A More Perfect Union: A National Citizenship Plan
###
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), a subsidiary of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, is the nation’s largest network of charitable immigration services with
161 affiliates in 262 field offices around the country. CLINIC advocates for transparent,
fair and generous immigration policies. www.cliniclegal.org
CLINIC’s New Citizenship Plan Recommends Increased Congressional Funding
February 1, 2007 press release in pdf
WASHINGTON, DC – The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) is deeply
concerned with the proposed increase in the application fee for U.S. citizenship. The U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposal to adjust fees for immigration and
naturalization applications raises them by 70%. The administration should find a solution
that promotes, rather than discourages, immigrant integration.
Just this week, CLINIC published a national citizenship plan, A More Perfect Union after
more than two years of research, writing, and interviewing more than 108 experts and
community advocates. One of its first recommendations is that Congress should help
fund application processing. The plan says, “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 proposed fee raise, CLINIC’s plan
“should ensure that all Legal Permanent Residents have access to citizenship, regardless
of their socioeconomic class or ethnic background.”
Donald Kerwin, CLINIC’s Executive Director, noted that “the administration should not
create more barriers to the President’s stated goal of immigrant integration.” In June 2006
President George W. Bush announced a plan “to create a ‘task force on new Americans’
to expand local initiatives to help immigrants integrate into American society.” This fee
increase would achieve the opposite. Discouraging low-income legal immigrants from
pursuing permanent resident status and citizenship is a strike against the integration
efforts of groups such as CLINIC.
Kerwin also stated that “it is clearly in the national interest to support immigrants seeking
citizenship. Encouraging integration through government-funded programs strengthens
national security. Inviting and involving immigrants in our society’s public institutions is
good for our nation.”
The United States is an immigrant nation which is strengthened by the contributions of
newcomers of all backgrounds. Raising the obstacles to integration goes against this
proud legacy.
see: A More Perfect Union: A National Citizenship Plan
###
The Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC), a subsidiary of the U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, is the nation’s largest network of charitable immigration services with
161 affiliates in 262 field offices around the country. CLINIC advocates for transparent,
fair and generous immigration policies. www.cliniclegal.org
415 Michigan Ave., NE
Suite 150
Washington, DC 20017
202.635.2556
202.635.2649 fax
media inquiries:
e-mail me
(202) 635-5810
Suite 150
Washington, DC 20017
202.635.2556
202.635.2649 fax
media inquiries:
e-mail me
(202) 635-5810
national programs | legalization & advocacy | religious immigration services | administration & development | training and technical support
media inquiries: Melissa Williams
Media Relations Coordinator
(202) 635-5810
Media Relations Coordinator
(202) 635-5810