The White House announced a new campaign
Thursday to get the 8.8 million legal immigrants in the United States on U.S.
citizenship rolls – a message presidential staffers are sending across the
nation just in time for voting season.
Specifically, the Obama administration is
pressing for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to make it
easier for the legals to pass the test, the New York Times reported. The agency
is going to provide practice tests via cellphone, as well as hold study and
preparatory workshops in key spots around the country.
The fee to take the citizenship tests will remain
at $680, but can be paid by credit card, the newspaper said.
Team Obama has reached out to regional
immigration groups for assistance with the more than 70 workshops that have
been organized, the New York Times said. The administration’s also planned
about 200 naturalization events in the next week.
But that’s not all. The White House is embracing
a plan to make immigrants feel welcome, in part by adjusting Justice Department
rules so that those who want to help with the citizenship process can get their
credentials quicker.
And one more facet of the campaign: the White
House has backed a blitz of television promotional spots aimed at enticing
immigrants to take the test.
Only those immigrants who’ve been legal
permanent residents for a minimum of three years are eligible for the
assistance. White House staffers are hoping to offer immigrants what they say
is a more positive message than what’s being put forth in the Republican camp,
mostly from presidential hopeful Donald Trump who’s promised to deport the 11
million or so illegals currently in the country.
“We want to build off the negative energy,” said
Tara Raghuveer, policy and advocacy director for the National Partnership for
New Americans, the New York Times reported. “People are hearing the hate and
racist xenophobia on the national stage from the presidential candidates. They
are angry and this is an opportunity for us to organize.”
The immigrant outreach
is not exactly new. As WND
previously reported, mayors around the
nation have been involved with similar campaigns in recent months, teaming with
Obama to turn refugees into new Americans.
http://www.wnd.com/2015/09/obama-rushing-to-bestow-citizenship-on-immigrants/
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