Washington, DC - The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund issued the following statement following Tuesday’s State of the Union Address by President George W. Bush:

“We believe that President Bush’s general support for comprehensive immigration reform is a positive contribution to our national discussion on the future of our immigration policy.  We are further encouraged that he acknowledges the need to resolve the status of undocumented immigrants in our nation.   The President must now demonstrate his leadership by working with Congress to enact fair and comprehensive immigration reform that provides a path to
U.S. citizenship for law abiding, tax paying newcomers.

The time has come for the President and Congress to address comprehensive immigration reform – an issue that is critical to the future growth and prosperity of our nation.  The results of the November 2006 elections showed that the American people want a change in the direction of the country -- and this includes a fair policy that fixes our nation’s flawed immigration system.

The President also emphasized upholding the nation’s tradition that welcomes and “assimilates” new arrivals. However, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is about to propose a substantial increase that could double the cost of applying for U.S.citizenship, which is currently $400.  We are deeply concerned that this massive fee hike will put the dream of U.S. citizenship out of the reach of many of our nation’s legal permanent residents who seek to become full Americans.

This proposed increase is imminent.  The President should halt the implementation of the naturalization fee hike until Congress and the American public have had an opportunity to thoroughly review the USCIS’ rationale for an increase of this magnitude.  The President must also work with Congress to address the fundamental problems in our approach to financing immigration services that are responsible for this increase.  Early in his address, the President talked about helping Americans build a future of hope and opportunity.  Newcomers are eager to build that future by embracing U.S. citizenship.  A $700 price tag on naturalization will place an insurmountable barrier in their path.

The President started his address by noting that he is willing to “cross that aisle” when there is work to be done.  The NALEO Educational Fund has adopted principles on comprehensive immigration reform [click here] that provide a road map to the work that needs to be done on this important national issue, including the need for a path to U.S. citizenship for those immigrants who have played by the rules and are contributing to our society.  We also call for a naturalization process that is fair and accessible to newcomers.  If we are to achieve these goals, the President and Congress must finally act now to make comprehensive immigration reform a reality.”