Last month we reported that Congress had granted the INS a big budget increase to reduce improve citizenship application processing and cut the serious backlogs around the country. Here now are the details.

The INS will get the full $171 million it requested earlier this year. This past summer we reported on the ironic news that an unexpected drop in naturalization applications would actually worsen backlogs since fee income would drop as well. The funding increase will offset the estimated $88 million loss and provide another $88 million to cut the backlogs. The INS now estimates that is will cut processing times nationwide to ten to twelve months by the end of Fiscal Year 1999 on September 30, 1999.

According to the INS, the funding will provide the following:

- $30.2 million to fund a new telephone center, a records center in Missouri to centralize INS' files; and indexing and conversion of INS microfilm images to CD-ROM or other electronic format

- $11.7 million for 200 term employees to work on the citizenship application backlog

- $6.5 million to improve records procedures and facilities

- $6.8 million to provide Automated Data Processing support to field offices

- $5.6 million for a file review initiative at the Service Centers

- $4.3 million to reduce backlogs at the Regional Service Centers

- $3.8 million for clerical support

- $3.4 million for overtime

- $3.2 million for data entry

- $3 million to continue the Price Waterhouse Coopers "re-engineering" contract

- $2.7 million for publishing a new user-friendly "Guide to Naturalization" and the new N-400 Application for Naturalization

- $2.4 million for reprinting applicants with expired fingerprint checks

- $1.2 million for consolidating medical waivers at the Service Centers

- $1 million for a pilot program to improve fingerprint identification through the naturalization process

-- Boston Naturalization Applicants Protest Backlogs

A group of several dozen Boston-area immigrants brought media attention to the INS citizenship backlogs by protesting at an election-eve rally in Massachusetts. They were protesting the fact that INS inefficiency has effectively disenfranchised them. That is, the INS is actually playing a role in elections by controlling the makeup of the electorate.

-- KPMG Releases Latest INS Citizenship Audit Results

KPMG Peat Marwick, the international accounting firm, has released the third in a series of reviews on INS naturalization procedures. The report is based on a series of unannounced office visits that occurred between July 27, 1998 and August 14, 1998. The intent of the audits is not to measure how efficient the citizenship application is, but, rather, to see how well the INS is preventing the naturalization of ineligible applicants. The report generally gives the INS good marks on this. KPMG states that the INS has been able to get its Naturalization Quality Procedures (NQP) disseminated to the field offices, continued to emphasize security control procedures, adequately trained employees and gotten managers on board in implementing the NQPs.

-- The INS now has 127 Application Support Centers (ASCs) operating around the country. These offices handle INS fingerprinting and will one day handle INS photos and, possibly, administering the English and citizenship exams. Of the 127, 59 are in permanent locations, 14 are located in temporary facilities and 54 are located in INS field offices. 10 more facilities should be ready by the end of next month and five more are in the planning stage.