Philadelphia Agencies Receive Funds to Help Immigrants Become Citizens

Recently 25 agencies from the Emma Lazarus Partnership of Southeastern Pennsylvania received $370,000 in funds to help more immigrants become US citizens.  The partnership is a new collaboration including billionaire financier George Soros's Foundation, the Open Society Institute in New York, and the Philadelphia Foundation.  Soros's Foundation donated $250,000, which was matched with $260,000 from other local organizations, including the Philadelphia Bar Foundation, CoreStates Bank and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

Applicants' Fingerprints Expire as INS Lags

Due to delays in the checking of citizenship applicants' fingerprints, many have expired.  About 150,000 to 200,000 citizenship applicants in Los Angeles will now have to resubmit their fingerprints even after waiting two years or more in the citizenship backlog.  Fingerprints expire after 15 months and are used to run criminal background checks on citizenship applicants.  Doris Meissner, Commissioner of INS, has pledged that INS will increase the staff handling citizenship cases, will add $600,000 in overtime pay and other backlog expenses in Los Angeles, and take other steps to move the stalled backlog.

18,500 Sworn in on Independence Day

About 18,500 people became new citizens in ceremonies held nationwide on Independence Day.  The largest ceremony was held in Los Angeles, where 10,000 people were took the oath of citizenship.

INS Apologizes to Those Stuck in Citizenship Backlog

As INS Commissioner Doris Meissner has said, the citizenship backlog is a "black hole," and the INS has recently sent letters of apology to about 200,000 applicants in Southern California.  The letters informed applicants that "INS sincerely regrets this and other delays you may have faced.  We apologize for the inconvenience this creates." INS Commissioner Meissner's letter is seen as symbolic of her overall efforts to place a greater emphasis on improving customer service.

Rhode Island Cuts Funding for Citizenship Classes

Rhode Island recently cut state grants for citizenship classes from $389,000 to $100,000.  The cuts were made despite a $132 million surplus in the state's budget and the growing popularity of the classes.  Governor Almond's spokeswoman said that the cuts were made because of the recent restoration of food stamp benefits to immigrants.  She reasoned that receiving government benefits, such as food stamps, would decrease the demand for citizenship and citizenship classes.