Immigrants waiting to become U.S. citizens are being told "not to get their hopes up" that the long-expected delays in citizenship applications will be shortened, warned USCIS director Emilio Gonzalez.  The Sacramento Bee reports that Gonzalez’s comments came from his appearance last week at a special ceremony at the California governor’s mansion, where he swore in 20 new citizens from Northern California .  

The agency predicts that citizenship applications filed after last July could take almost three times longer to process in some cities than last year.  The average wait has grown from seven months to 16 to 18 months in some cities.  The reason, Gonzalez said, is a dramatic surge in applications, especially right before citizenship fees increased 69 percent – from $400 to $675 – on July 30.  About 1.4 million applications were filed from October 2006 to September 2007, nearly double the amount filed the year before.   

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Last week, shortly after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg stressed the need for immigration reform, citing the shortsightedness of immigration policy is part of the cause for the stock market’s volatility, Newsday reports.  Bloomberg reiterated a theme he has hit on regularly in recent weeks as speculation about a possible presidential bid grows: Immigration is the key to economic growth.  "All these economies are linked together and our country has tried to look inward at the very time we should be looking outward," the mayor said at a news conference.  "We should be encouraging the best and brightest from around the world to move here, bring their knowledge, bring the capital bring their spirit, to expand the economy.  And sadly," he added, "I think we’re going in the other direction."  

The mayor has denied he is running for higher office, but his aides have been conducting national polls to gauge his chances and he has been making more visits outside of New York State , speaking more often on national issues.  

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According to The Government Executive, the Department of Homeland Security awarded over $160 million in contracts to two companies last week in an effort to speed up border crossings to and from the United States . General Dynamics, a developer for a radio frequency identification passport card that travelers can use at U.S. land border crossings and sea ports of entry, was awarded a five-year $99.3 million contract to develop and make the cards.  In addition, DHS awarded Unisys with a $62 million contract to provide the RFID equipment needed to read the new cards and to install technologies that can capture images of automobile license plates as travelers drive through Customs.  DHS is planning on implementing the equipment at the busiest 39 land border ports, beginning this month.