A study published earlier this month reveals that Hispanics comprised nearly half of over 1 million people who became US citizens last year, The Associated Press reports. The study, conducted by the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, indicates that the number of Latinos who became Americans in fiscal year 2008 had doubled over the previous year, to 461,317.
NALEO based its findings on Homeland Security Department data on the number of new citizens last year who emigrated from predominantly Spanish-speaking countries. The DHS report attributed the record number of new citizens to the nearly 1.4 million citizenship applications it received in 2007. DHS attributed this to a rush to beat the sharp hike in citizenship application fees, as well as increased outreach by Hispanic media, community groups and a union with high immigrant membership, all of which urged eligible permanent residents to pursue citizenship.
“Latinos who naturalize are eager to demonstrate their commitment to America by becoming full participants in our nation’s civic life,” said NALEO president Arturo Vargas. “Despite the record number of naturalizations, there are still millions of eligible legal permanent residents who have not yet applied for US citizenship or who encounter barriers in the naturalization process,” he added.
The NALEO report is available online at: http://www.naleo.org/pr/pr04-06-09.html.
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The Obama administration recently named Alan Bersin, a former Justice Department, as “border czar,” a position designed to tackle the increasing drug-related violence and undocumented immigration problems along the US border with Mexico, Politico reports. The announcement occurred the day before President Obama embarked on a summit to Mexico to meet with South American leaders.
Bersin has relevant experience for the position; under the Clinton administration Bersin served as a US attorney for San Diego, and was appointed by Attorney General Janet Reno to focus on border law enforcement. Bersin was criticized by some immigrant groups for his role in Operation Gatekeeper, a federal government operation to crack down on undocumented immigration along the westernmost portion of the US-Mexico border. The program was a success at reducing uncontrolled immigration through that area, but forced smugglers of drugs and humans to shift eastward.
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Both New York senators said they plan to ask Congress to grant posthumous citizenship to victims of the recent Binghamton, NY massacre, The Associated Press reports. Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said that under legislation they are proposing, the honorary citizenship would be backdated so the victims would be considered citizens at the time of death.
The shooting, which occurred in an immigration center in upstate New York, claimed the live of 13 victims who were striving to become citizens and studying English when they were killed by the gunman. “We hope to honor the lives of those who were working so hard to become citizens and achieve the American dream,” Gillibrand said.
