The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) strongly opposes the major increase that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has proposed for citizenship and other immigration applications.\u00a0 This increase, which could increase the fee for citizenship from $400 to $675, would create a Second Wall blocking citizenship for many legal immigrants.
\nIn 1998, the cost to apply for citizenship was only $95.\u00a0 In 2002,
\n after the Bush Administration took office, the costs (including fingerprinting fees) went up from $250 to $310.\u00a0 The total fees are now $400, a fourfold increase in the past eight years.\u00a0 In 2004, USCIS even began increasing fees automatically each year.
\nThe burden lies with the immigration service to justify this huge increase.\u00a0 \u201cWe cannot believe that the costs of processing a citizenship application have gone up 70 percent in only three years,\u201d said Fred Tsao, policy director at ICIRR.\u00a0 While USCIS is claiming that it needs more revenue to pay for and improve its operations, it has refused to seek funding from Congress to help pay for its operations.\u00a0 \u201cUSCIS director Emilio Gonzalez has said that his agency is a \u2019business.\u2019\u201d Tsao noted.\u00a0 \u201cBut no business relies just on fees or sales revenues, and the immigration service should not do so either.\u201d
\nMeanwhile, immigrant families already struggle to save enough to pay these fees, and often already put off applying until they can afford to pay.\u00a0 \u201cGonzalez repeatedly says that US citizenship is \u2018priceless,\u2019 and that immigrants would be willing to pay whatever the cost,\u201d Tsao added.\u00a0 \u201cBut raising fees still higher will only put citizenship further out of reach for thousands of immigrants, especially for the most vulnerable.\u201d
\nICIRR is encouraging all Legal Permanent Residents to apply NOW before the fee increases.\u00a0 ICIRR administers the New Americans Initiative (NAI), a partnership with the State of Illinois that assists Illinois immigrants to become US citizens. The program also encourages immigrants to independently initiate their naturalization process.
\nSince NAI started in 2005, citizenship applications in the USCIS Chicago District have risen 32%. \u201cPeople are making a huge effort to apply for citizenship already,\u201d said Karla Avila, NAI Director.\u00a0 \u201cThey understand the importance of doing it now.\u00a0 It\u2019s not fair that the government is putting more barriers for people that want to become Americans.\u201d
\nNAI will is organizing a series of regional citizenship workshops in Feb. in Moline, Peoria, La Salle, Galesburg and Beardstown among other places throughout the state.\u00a0 At these workshops, community organizations will provide assistance in filling out the citizenship application, including free legal screening and referral for ESL and citizenship classes.\u00a0 Appointments MUST be scheduled in advance by calling 1-800-298-3235 ext. 104 or ext. 107.\u00a0\u00a0 For complete list of dates and times of the citizenship workshop closest to you, please refer to the Feb. Regional Clinic Schedule on the side.\u00a0 In addition, ICIRR is training volunteers to help legal permanent residents fill out their citizenship applications. \u201cThis is a state of emergency, and we need to help as many people as we can to become US citizens before the fee increase takes place,\u201d Avila added.
\n\u201cLike so many people across Illinois, I am a first generation American.\u00a0 I will always be proud that my parents worked hard and sacrificed to reach the American Dream,\u201d stated State Senator Martin Sandoval, key leader of the immigrant community and advocate for NAI.\u00a0 \u201cUSCIS should be encouraging immigrants to seek citizenship, not putting up more barriers in their way.\u201d
\nFor more information visit the ICIRR\u2019s website at www.icirr.org.<\/p>\n
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