Assembly Joint Resolution
No. 18
CHAPTER 143
Relative to naturalization.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
September 25, 2007.
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LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AJR 18, Solorio.
Legal permanent residents: United States citizenship.
This bill would memorialize the Legislature’s opposition to an increase in the fees for legal permanent residents to begin the naturalization process by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and would call upon the President and the Congress to address the nation’s system of financing immigration services.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, California is home to many hard-working, taxpaying, legal permanent residents who are eager to become full-fledged Americans by pursuing the dream of United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, On May 30, 2007, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a final rule increasing the fees for starting the naturalization process from $400 to $675, an increase of 69 percent; and
WHEREAS, Under the final rule, which was published in the Federal Register on May 30, 2007, at 72 Fed. Reg. 29851, the fee hike went into effect on July 30, 2007; and
WHEREAS, Naturalization fees have been soaring since 1991, when newcomers paid $90 to apply for United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Naturalization fee increases result from our nation’s system of financing immigration services, which requires the USCIS to rely almost exclusively on application fees to fund the delivery of services to immigrants; and
WHEREAS, The USCIS believes that it needs this massive fee hike to pay for major infrastructure investments and process enhancements, such as improvements in the timeliness of background checks, modernization of its outdated business systems through technology upgrades, facilities improvements, and enhancements in its personnel training and recruitment programs; and
WHEREAS, The USCIS has not adequately explained or justified the amounts and distributions of its recent fee increases; and
WHEREAS, The USCIS had produced no specific, detailed plan for its infrastructure modernization efforts; and
WHEREAS, The USCIS has suffered from a lack of transparency and stability in its operations and policy development; and
WHEREAS, There are at least 2.3 million legal permanent residents in California who are eligible to apply for United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, According to data from the 2000 census, about one-third (36 percent) of California noncitizen households have annual incomes that are less $25,000; and
WHEREAS, The fee increase will be a nearly insurmountable barrier in the path of legal permanent residents who seek to naturalize, many of whom have limited financial resources; and
WHEREAS, We believe that our system for funding immigration services should be a partnership between newcomers and the federal government where applicants pay a reasonable fee for quality service; and
WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution 47, introduced into the United States House of Representatives on June 30, 2007, disapproves of the final rule implementing the fee increase and declares that the rule shall have no force or effect; and
WHEREAS, The fee increase is contrary to the spirit of our nation’s and state’s tradition of welcoming and integrating immigrants, and sends newcomers the wrong message at a time when they are seeking to embrace United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, Naturalization benefits California by helping to ensure that newcomers become full participants in our nation’s civic life; and
WHEREAS, The full participation of newcomers enriches and maintains the vitality of our democracy; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly and the Senate of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature adamantly opposes the fee increase by USCIS and demands a halt on the fee increase for all naturalization applications; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature expresses its strong support for House Joint Resolution 47, and calls upon all members of California’s Congressional delegation to cosponsor and support the swift enactment of the resolution; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls on the Director of the USCIS to immediately provide President George W. Bush and the Congress with accurate information to ascertain the amount of federal appropriations that would be needed to enable the USCIS to modernize its operations, and enhance its naturalization services, without raising the naturalization fee; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature calls on President George W. Bush and the Congress to address the fundamental problems in our nation’s system for financing immigration services by providing appropriations to supplement fee revenue to cover costs of major USCIS expenses such as infrastructure investments, process enhancements, and capital improvements; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the President of the United States, all members of California’s Congressional delegation, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the President pro Tempore of the Senate for inclusion in the Congressional Record.