Immigrant organizations speak out against the citizenship fee hike

or "How I ditched going to my academic advisor because going to a press conference seemed like more fun."

This all may be information that you know already but I lucked into going to this press conference thanks to my school renting offices in the same building and my friendly Montana Rocky Mountain-optimism.

The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights had a press conference today denouncing the sharp hike in legal citizenship costs. This increase by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) would create a second wall to citizenship, this time affecting those who are LEGAL immigrants. The increase would be from 400 dollars to 675 dollars. In 1998, this fee was 95 dollars.

What is an issue here is not only USCIS's statement that they are a fee-driven business but also an activist issue. Hypothetically with all the immigration and amnesty issues floating around, governmental funds for the USCIS would be important but Director Emilio Gonzalez has not requested funds even as independent organizations have volunteered to help in this process. Word of mouth, talking to congressmen and women, press coverage is obviously an issue here.

The other part of this problem that spoke to me was the push to get legal immigrants through the citizenship process before this fee hike takes place in May or June. I'm a student at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and obviously will try to pursue the ways I can help but nationally. Knowing the number of patriotic or at least civil responsibility minded people out there, I would imagine that many would like to (or be guilted into) volunteering in their communities to help push immigrants through this process before the increase. The ICIRR has workshops that Chicagoans (?) can volunteer for but I can't imagine that other communities wouldn't have similar concerns and resources.

State Senator Martin Sandoval from the 12th Legislative District spoke at this meeting as well as spokespeople from Chinese and Korean groups.

Yeah. There's my lunch hour summed up. Hope it's informative at least.