DALLAS, TEXAS — On March 24, 2007, the Texas chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association will be sponsoring a free citizenship clinic at the Richardson Public Library at 900 Civic Center Drive, Richardson, Texas between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. Volunteer attorneys will assist community members with applications to become American citizens. The legal clinic is part of a national campaign organized by the American Immigration Lawyers Association and other groups to help people through the sometimes difficult process of becoming an American citizen. “Each year around 500,000 people become United States citizens. Many others would like to become American citizens, but don’t understand the process. This event is to help those eligible start the process of becoming American citizens,†said Mr. Vishal Chander, a local attorney practicing immigration law and a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. There are several requirements a person must meet in order to naturalize, or become a citizen. The applicant must be a legal permanent resident for at least five years (or three if married to a United States citizen). The applicant must be able to read and write the English language and pass a United States history and government exam. The applicant must also be a person of “good moral character†and take an oath of loyalty to the United States. Volunteers at the Citizenship Day event will help review citizenship applications to make sure that applicants satisfy the basic requirements. Citizenship is important to many immigrants because it allows them to fully participate in the American civic process. Mr. Chander said, “Many immigrants are extremely patriotic and love the United States. Citizenship gives people many rights, like the right to vote.†The event comes after recent news that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, the government agency responsible for immigration and naturalization matters, is proposing a seventy percent increase in naturalization fees. Fees would increase from $400 to a proposed $650. “This substantial increase in fees will exclude a large segment of working class people from becoming citizens — part of the American Dream,†said Mr. Chander. The American Immigration Lawyers Association is working to keep application fees reasonable and within the reach of everyone. The event is being cosponsored by the Richardson Public Library, Catholic Charities of Dallas, and other community based organizations. The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) the national association of over 10,000 attorneys and law professors who practice and teach immigration law. Founded in 1946, the mission of AILA is to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance professional development of its members.
