NPNA Encouraged by Budget Proposal That Gets Closer to A More Just and Effective Immigration System
NPNA Encouraged by Budget Proposal That Gets Closer to A More Just and Effective Immigration System WASHINGTON – The White House today submitted toplines for its fiscal 2022 discretionary budget request, including funds to address backlogs in immigration courts and naturalization proceedings that affect millions of people, as well as for expanding…
As Federal Agency Heads Review Naturalization Barriers, NPNA Offers Recommendations on Making Citizenship Accessible to All
As Federal Agency Heads Review Naturalization Barriers, NPNA Offers Recommendations on Making Citizenship Accessible to All WASHINGTON – By this Saturday, the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, and State must develop a plan to improve the naturalization process, as required by an executive order signed by President Joe Biden on Feb. 2. As…
NPNA Applauds Reversal of Civics Test, Urges USCIS to Move on Backlog and Naturalize 2 Million by 2022
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it was reversing a controversial civics test that the Trump administration put in place just weeks before it left office. The 2020 civics test was condemned by advocates as a ploy to keep citizenship out of reach for those with limited English proficiency, was criticized for being formulated with limited community and expert input, as well as for featuring inaccurate questions and answers. One such question indicated that members of Congress only represent citizens and not the entirety of their districts, including undocumented people or immigrants of other statuses.
NPNA and Welcoming America Applaud Reestablishment of the Task Force on New Americans, Call for Continued Federal Leadership on Immigrant Inclusion
President Joe Biden today fulfilled a key campaign promise by re-establishing the Task Force on New Americans, a cross-agency effort to coordinate and advance the proactive inclusion of immigrants into the fabric of American society. Renewal of the Task Force following four years of federal inaction on immigrant inclusion is another signal of an urgently needed new chapter in the federal government’s approach to immigration.
NPNA Applauds Biden Administration’s Strong Start on Immigration; Urges Important Next Steps to Uplift Immigrants and Refugees
Today, President Joe Biden is expected to issue a series of executive actions that aim to expand access to citizenship and re-establish the United States as a nation of refuge that treats newcomers humanely, regardless of the circumstances of their arrival to our borders and shores. The actions also include reviewing all barriers to citizenship and legal immigration, including the public charge rule; taking steps towards streamlining the naturalization process; and establishing a Task Force of New Americans, within the White House, to coordinate a federal policy to include immigrants. The actions signaled a much-needed rejection of the cruel policies instituted by the previous administration and pave a path for meaningful and sustainable improvements to America’s immigration policy.
National Partnership for New Americans on USCIS Announcement that Agency Won’t Increase Fees
Today, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would not go forward with a proposed regulation that would have increased the citizenship application fee from $640 to over $1,100, among other application fee increases, and would have eliminated most fee waivers for low-income and working-class immigrants to apply.
NPNA Welcomes Day 1 Immigration Reform Bill, Administrative Reforms Also Needed
On the first day of the new administration, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, which creates a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, including for DACA and TPS recipients and agricultural workers, strengthens family immigration, addresses roots causes of migration, expands access to asylum and refuge, and bolsters due process protections in immigration court.
More than 130,000 Newly Naturalized Citizens in Georgia Can Sway the Outcome of 2021 Senate Runoff Election, GALEO, AAAJ-Atlanta and NPNA Report Finds
More than 130,000 Newly Naturalized Citizens in Georgia Can Sway the Outcome of 2021 Senate Runoff Election, GALEO, AAAJ-Atlanta and NPNA Report Finds A report release today sheds light on the potential impact of newly naturalized citizens on national, state, and local elections Facebook LIVE Recording Available Here ATLANTA, GA – More…
New Civics Test is Last-Minute Effort from Trump Administration to Cut Off Access to Citizenship
As the Trump administration nears its final days, it is leaving as it arrived: by limiting access to citizenship through a series of policies and practices that make it more difficult for millions of eligible immigrants to navigate the long naturalization process.