Rep. Gutierrez Introduces Mass Amnesty Bill

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) introduced legislation today that offers amnesty to the nation’s estimated 11-18 million illegal aliens. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform for America’s Security and Prosperity Act (H.R. 4321) would increase annual immigration numbers while putting an end to many of the enforcement mechanisms currently put into place by federal, state and local governments.

Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) is the bill’s official sponsor. The bill was introduced with 91 original cosponsors including Rep. Gutierrez.

H.R. 4321 would offer amnesty to all illegal aliens living in the United States at the time of the bill’s passage as long as they meet a short list of requirements, including a criminal and security background check and a fine of $500 which will be waved for children and individuals who entered the country before the age of 16. Illegal aliens can then become citizenship by meeting requirements over a six-year period.

The bill would also discontinue E-Verify in lieu of a new employment authorization system. The initial outline of the bill provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association does not offer details of the new system, but Rep. Gutierrez championed a biometrics verification system during a Senate Immigration Subcommittee hearing earlier this year. 

The bill would create an independent commission that would make recomendation towards the future flow of workers based on the needs of the market place. The bill would also establish a work match system that allows employers who have historically relied on illegal workers to find workers through an internet-based system.

The bill would attempt to close up some of the loopholes in current visa classes, more specifically the H-1B visas for high-skilled workers, but the bill would not reduce the number of these visas currently issued.

The bill also includes the AgJOBS amnesty, which grants amnesty to illegal farm workers who can prove they’ve worked consistently in the United States over a set period of time, and the DREAM Act, which grants amnesty to illegal aliens who graduated from U.S. high schools and wish to attend college.

The following summary is provided by the American Immigration Lawyers Association…

Comprehensive Immigration Reform for
America’s Security and Prosperity
(CIR ASAP) Act of 2009

TITLE I – BORDER SECURITY, DETENTION, AND
ENFORCEMENT

Subtitle A – Border Security:

Subtitle A of Title I assembles a vision of effective and accountable enforcement for the 21st
century through maximizing border security by requiring the Secretary of Homeland Security to
form a national strategy that is consistent with the progress already made. In order to achieve
these goals, oversight and accountability for the Department of Homeland Security is
emphasized, especially as they pertain to fiscal appropriations and cost-benefit analyses of
operations and programs.

Protecting Our Borders: This subtitle protects United States border cities and communities
from violence and crime along the U.S.-Mexico border by:

Creating a Southern Border Security Task Force that is composed of federal, state, and local
law enforcement officers
Requiring a security plan for land ports of entry at the borders involved in international trade
Expanding the programs under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism that is in
accordance to the SAFE Port Act
Improving the exchange of information between federal agencies on North American
Security by a conducting a targeted study of security clearance standards, document integrity,
immigration and visa management and coordination, terrorist watch lists and smuggling
operations

Effective Enforcement: Subtitle A achieves effective enforcement by improving personnel,
assets and technology. This section:

Supports additional training, oversight and evaluation for agents who are the first face of
America at the borders

Ensures that Customs and Border Protection have sufficient personal equipment like body
armor, weapons, and uniforms, and that Customs and Border Protection have sufficient assets
such as helicopters, power boats, motor vehicles and other electronic equipment
Promotes standards for searches of electronic devices and appropriate training for agents in
conducting such searches

Minimizes wasteful spending by developing and studying comprehensive uses of advanced
technologies, such as aerial and automated surveillance
Requires an inventory prior to any increase of personnel assets and technology

Securing Ports of Entry: Our nation’s ports of entry are modernized for our economic benefit
and security by conducting a study of the infrastructure and operations to identify necessary
improvements and projects to enhance border security and the flow of legitimate commerce and
travel. This section:

Improves infrastructure and recalibrates resources and training to allow for more effective
screening of commercial goods and individuals so as to minimize threats to national security
at ports of entry
Increases the number of full-time port of entry inspectors, agricultural specialists, and
support staff to improve the timely and safe flow of commercial goods and individuals
Establishes a demonstration project to test and evaluate new port of entry technologies and
also refines existing technologies and operational concepts

Combating Criminal Activity: This subtitle recognizes the role of state law enforcement at the
border in combating criminal activity by creating border relief grant programs for Northern and
Southern border state, local and tribal law enforcement entities. This section:

Enables better training and technical assistance for state and local partners that deals with
narcotics-related kidnapping, drug trafficking and the interdiction of weapons and currency
Facilitates information-sharing and collaboration between federal and state partners
Suspends the Operation Streamline program pending review of the goals, impacts and costbenefit
analyses
Reimburses Northern and Southern border state and local prosecutors for prosecuting
federally initiated drug cases
Provides expanded resources for Operation Armas Cruzadas and Project Gunrunner to
identify, investigate, and prosecute individuals involved in the trafficking and smuggling of
firearms between Mexico and the United States.

Improving Partnerships: The importance of border communities as partners and allies are
recognized as key in achieving effective enforcement by prioritizing community consultation in
developing enforcement policies, border protection strategies and training. This subtitle:

Establishes the U.S.-Mexico Border Enforcement Commission and a Border Communities
Liaison Office to foster and institutionalize community consultation
Prohibits military involvement in non-emergency border enforcement
Prioritizes mitigating adverse impacts to federal, tribal, state, local and private lands, waters,
wildlife and habitats by promoting cross-agency development of comprehensive monitoring
and mitigation of ecological and environmental impacts of border security infrastructure and
activity

Combating Human Trafficking: Subtitle A requires the development and implementation of a
plan to improve coordination amongst federal and state partners to address human smuggling and
migrant deaths. This section calls for additional ICE agents dedicated to combating human
smuggling are stationed at ports of entry, requires reporting on migrant deaths, and establishes a
study of strategies used at the Southern border to address this problem.

Subtitle B – Detention:

Improving Conditions of Detention: The bill requires DHS to meet minimum requirements to
ensure the humane treatment of detainees. Minimum requirements include:

Adequate medical and mental health screenings, evaluations, medically necessary treatment,
and continuing care
A review process for medical treatment requests and complete and confidential medical
records
Reasonable access to telephones, affordable rates, and privacy protections for calls
Protections from sexual abuse, care for victims, and reports and investigations of abuse
Protection from transfers that fail to consider health and access to counsel

To ensure compliance with minimum detention conditions, the bill requires rulemaking and
enforcement. An independent immigration detention commission is established to investigate
and report on compliance. DHS must report the death of a detainee within 48 hours, and report
annually to Congress on the circumstances of all deaths in detention.

Protecting U.S. Citizens, Lawfully Present Immigrants, Vulnerable Populations, and
Communities: This section increases screening and protections during immigration-related
enforcement activities for U.S. citizens, Legal Permanent Residents, others lawfully present in
the U.S., and vulnerable populations. Social service agencies, translators, and legal services must
be available during enforcement activities. DHS will be required to:

Issue regulations prohibiting apprehensions at enumerated community, educational, and
religious locations
Provide access to legal orientation programs and access to counsel during enforcement
activities and for disabled individuals unable to fully participate in removal proceedings
Give timely notice and service of immigration charges, as well as timely bond hearings if
detained more than 48 hours

This section increases protections for individuals subject to immigration detainers, limits the use
of detainers to confirmed removable aliens, and requires DHS to collect data and report on
detainer use. The unnecessary detention of refugees is prohibited. DHS is required to report to
Congress on the impact of immigration-related enforcement activities.

Improving Secure Alternative to Detention Programs: Criteria are established to guide
detention and release decisions and require release for vulnerable populations. Detention
decisions must be in writing, served upon detainees, and are subject to redetermination by an
immigration judge.

Protecting Family Unity: Families with children may not be separated except in exceptional
circumstances where alternatives to detention are not available. Residential, non-penal facilities
are developed for any necessary family detention with appropriate protections for children and
parental rights. The bill includes safeguards for families and children during immigration-related
enforcement actions by:

Improving child welfare services for children separated from parents and guardians who are
in immigration detention or have been removed
Requiring training for federal and state personnel who interact with separated children and
for staff at immigration detention facilities on parental rights, humanitarian, and due process
protections
Ensuring protections for detained parents, guardians, and caregivers in immigration detention
to promote access to children, family courts, child welfare services, and consular officials

Protecting Unaccompanied Alien Children: Training is required for DHS employees who
encounter unaccompanied alien children. Upon apprehension of an unaccompanied alien child,
immediate notice is required by DHS or ORR and transfer to ORR custody within 24 hours.

Subtitle C – Enforcement:

Protecting workers: Provides temporary visas and work authorization for detained workers
when they have been retaliated against by their employer for asserting their labor rights and they
agree to pursue labor claims against their employer. Also expands U visas to provide for
whistleblower protections with regard to worker exploitation, civil rights violations and
retaliation for exercising labor rights.

Address Reporting: Clarifies address reporting requirements

Ending Discrimination: Preempts any state or local law that discriminates against an individual
based on immigration status or imposes sanctions on any individual or entity based on the
immigration status of its clients, employees or tenants

Repeals the 287(g) program: Repeals the 287(g) program and clarifies that the authority to
enforce federal immigration law lies solely with the federal government

ICE Ombudsman: Establishes an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Ombudsman
Asylum: Eliminates the arbitrary 1-year bar to applying for asylum

Restores federal jurisdiction: Restores the federal courts of their jurisdiction to review
decisions and practices of DHS thereby also restoring the historic role that the courts play in
reviewing agency actions

TITLE II – EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION

This section sets up an employment verification system for employers to verify each new hire’s
authorization to work. The new system will eventually apply to all workers and all new hires,
and will be rolled out in phases, beginning with critical infrastructure employers and large
employers. The employment verification system:

Creates significant civil penalties for employers who do not comply with the requirements
under the new system

Establishes serious criminal penalties for knowingly hiring unauthorized aliens
Debars employers who repeatedly violate these provisions from government contracts,
grants, and agreements
Includes privacy safeguards by limiting the data that can be collected and stored in the
database and requiring the agencies to develop the system with maximum security and
privacy protections
Requires the agencies to evaluate impact of system from a privacy perspective and complete
privacy impact statements
Prohibits creation of a national identification card
Includes anti-discrimination provisions. Forbids employers from using the new system to
discriminate against applicants or employees on the basis of nationality. Prohibits employers
from terminating employment due to a tentative non-confirmation, using the system to screen
employees prior to offering employment, or using the system selectively
Allows an individual to register with the Social Security Administration and acquire a PIN
that would allow them electronic access to their file in the system, update their information,
and lock their file for purposes of employment

TITLE III – VISA REFORMS

Backlog Reduction and Numerical Limit Reforms:

Reduction of existing backlogs: Permits the “recapture” of unused employment-based visas and
family-sponsored visas from fiscal years 1992-2008 and allows future unused visa numbers to
roll over to next fiscal year. Immediate relatives are exempted from the annual cap on the
number of immigrant visas. This section increases the percentage limit of visas which may be
issued yearly to a single country.

Promotion of Family Unity: To recognize family unity principles and facilitate backlog
reduction, reclassifies spouses and children of lawful permanent residents as immediate relatives.
The government is given greater discretionary authority to waive unlawful presence bars to
reunite families upon a demonstration of hardship for applicant’s U.S. citizen or lawful
permanent resident family members.

Sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans: Exempts the sons and daughters of
Filipino WWII veterans from the annual numerical limitations.

Immigrants with Advanced Skills Exempt from Visa Cap: Exempts several categories of
highly skilled workers from the employment-based immigrant visa cap.

Retaining Workers Subject to the Green Card Backlog: Current nonimmigrant skilled
workers whose employer has petitioned for an employment-based green card on their behalf and
their dependents will be permitted to file an application for adjustment of status, regardless of
whether a visa is immediately available. An applicant under this section must pay a
supplemental $500 fee, to be used by DHS for backlog reduction and clearing security
background check delays. The Secretary shall provide employment and travel authorization in 3-
year increments while the application is pending.

Protection of Children and Families:

Relief for Orphans and Widows: Ensures that surviving spouses and children applying for
adjustment of status or naturalization, including spouses and children of asylees and refugees,
retain eligibility for waivers and other considerations that would have been available to them at
the time of the petitioner’s death.

Reform of Cancellation of Removal: Permits immigration judges greater discretion in
determining eligibility requirements for long-term lawful permanent residents seeking
cancellation of removal. Eliminates prohibitions on including time spent in the United States
after becoming inadmissible or being placed in removal proceedings as counting towards
continuous presence requirements for cancellation of removal.

Protection for Refugees, Parolees or Asylees: Prohibits the removal of any individual who fled
his or her homeland for fear of persecution before the age of twelve and was subsequently
admitted into the United States as a parolee or refugee or was granted asylum in the U.S.

Enhanced Protections for Children: Revises current law to ensure that the children of fiancés
of United States citizens will be protected from aging out of eligibility to adjust to conditional
resident status by requiring that eligibility determinations are based on the child’s age at the time
the U.S. citizen files a petition for classifying the child’s parent as a fiancé or spouse. Eliminates
he requirement that stepchildren must have been under the age of 18 at the time the qualifying
marriage took place in order to be classified as a child for purposes of immigration eligibility.

Limits on Removal for Parents of U.S. Citizen Children: Permits an immigration judge to
decline to order the removal of the parent of U.S. citizen child if the judge determines that
removal would not be in the child’s best interests and the parent is not subject to removal based
on national security, terrorism or trafficking grounds.

Determinations under the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998: This section
amends the Haitian Refugee Immigration Fairness Act of 1998 (HRIFA) to preserve eligibility
for children of applicants based on their age on the date of enactment of HRIFA and permits new
applications and motions to reopen on that basis.

Affidavit of Support: Revises the eligibility requirements for sponsorship of immigrants by
reducing the level of support required from 125% of poverty level to 100% of poverty level.

Return of Talent Program: Permits lawful permanent residents to temporarily return to their
home country to assist in post-conflict or natural disaster reconstruction activities, for up to two
years without losing credit towards time as a continuous resident of the U.S. for purposes of
applying for naturalization.

Humanitarian Visa Program to Prevent Unauthorized Migration (PUM Visa):
Prevent Unauthorized Migration Visa (PUM Visa) Creates a stop-gap new visa program that
will provide for safe, humanitarian migration during the three-year transition period before the
implementation of recommendations made by the new Labor Commission.

One hundred thousand PUM visas will be made available annually, for three years, to
persons from sending countries of unauthorized migration to the United States to be
distributed on a percentage basis through a lottery system.
Individuals may apply to the lottery if they are not present in the United States at the time of
filing, do not have other family or employment-based means to immigration, submit to
criminal background checks, and have completed less than a 4-year college degree program.
Individuals awarded visas will be admitted to the United States as conditional residents and
may petition to remove the condition after three years upon showing they have good moral
character, pass all required background and security checks, comply with all tax requirements
and other factors, including payment of a $500 fee that will be used to fund security and
employment programs.

TITLE IV – EARNED LEGALIZATION PROGRAM FOR THE
UNDOCUMENTED

Visa Program for Qualified Undocumented Workers: Creates a program providing
conditional nonimmigrant status for undocumented immigrants (and their spouses and children)
in the U.S., which is valid for six years.

Features of the Conditional Nonimmigrant Program:

Provides conditional nonimmigrant visa applicants with work and travel authorization and
protection from removal
Bars related to undocumented status will be waived (security and criminal bars cannot be
waived)
Contains provisions for administrative and judicial review of denied applications

Requirements for Conditional Nonimmigrant Status: The alien must:

Establish presence in the U.S. on the day of introduction, and continuously thereafter
At time of registration, attests to contributions to the U.S. through employment, education,
military service, or other volunteer/community service (with exemptions for minors, persons
with disabilities, the elderly, or other unusual circumstances)
Complete criminal and security background checks
Pay a $500 fine plus necessary application fees (fine exemption for children and certain
immigrants who initially entered the U.S. before the age of 16)
The individual shall be ineligible to receive a visa as a result of a serious criminal conviction,
persecution of another person or reasonable grounds for believing that the alien committed a
particularly serious crime abroad
There is a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment for anyone who willfully falsifies
information in an application for conditional nonimmigrant status

Adjustment of Status to LPR: Provides qualified conditional nonimmigrants and their spouses
and children with an opportunity to apply for lawful permanent resident status (green card) and
eventual citizenship.

Features of the Earned Adjustment of Status Program:

No green cards may be issued under this program earlier than six years after the date of
enactment unless existing immigrant backlogs have been cleared before that time
The Department of State and DHS are required to provide any requesting law enforcement
entity with information furnished on an application in connection with a criminal or national
security investigation or prosecution
New penalties for making false statements in an application for earned citizenship are created
Immigrants who adjust from a conditional nonimmigrant visa (including dependents) to
lawful permanent resident status shall not be counted against the worldwide numerical visa
caps
Those appealing decisions associated with the application for adjustment to permanent status
have access to a defined administrative and judicial process

Special Rule for Persons Brought to the United States Before the Age of 16: In order to
simplify processing of applicants under CIR ASAP, those persons ordinarily covered under the
DREAM Act will apply for status through the same program outlined above, with the following
special features:

No fines for persons who were brought to the United States before the age of 16, have
resided in the U.S. for at least five years, and were 35 years of age or less
Such persons will be eligible for accelerated LPR status upon graduation from high school,
and completion of two years of college, military service, or employment. Persons granted
LPR status under this provision will be eligible for naturalization three years after the date
LPR status is granted
Graduation from a U.S. high school or receipt of an equivalency degree will meet the English
proficiency requirement
Individual states permitted to determine residency requirements for in-state tuition purposes

Requirements for Earned Adjustment: The applicant must:

Demonstrate contribution to the United States through employment, education, military
service, or voluntary or community service, where applicable
Complete criminal and security background checks
Establish registration under the Selective Service (if applicable)
Meet English and civics requirements
Undergo a medical examination
Pay all taxes

Show admissibility to the U.S

Other Provisions in Title IV:

AgJOBS Act of 2009

TITLE V – STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S WORKFORCE

Title V of CIR ASAP strengthens America’s workforce by reforming the badly-flawed H-1B, H-
2B and L-1 visa programs and establishes a Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets to
provide researched, unbiased, accurate recommendations for future flows of workers. It also
permanently reauthorizes the EB-5 visa program and establishes stricter requirements for
employers and recruiters of foreign workers. Title V additionally establishes the American
Worker Recruit and Match System which will match qualified individuals with job opportunities
in fields that traditionally have relied on unauthorized labor. Furthermore, this title establishes
the Security and Prosperity Account which directs funds raised from fines in the earned
legalization program to fortify America’s workforce, integrate new Americans and safeguard our
borders.

Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets: Title V establishes a new independent
federal agency known as the Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets. The Commission
will:

Establish employment based-immigration policies that promote economic growth and
competitiveness while minimizing job displacement, wage depression and unauthorized
employment
Create and implement a policy-focused research agenda on the economic impact of
immigration on multiple levels
Collect and analyze information on employment-based immigration and publish the data and
analysis
Recommend to Congress and the President appropriate methods for determining the levels of
employment-based immigration and assessing the effects of such immigration as well as the
numerical levels and characteristics of procedures for future flows of workers to be admitted
into the United States

Security and Prosperity Account: The Security and Prosperity Account is established in Title
V to fund efforts to strengthen our workforce, including:

Grants to states for adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities
Funding for the Electronic Employment Verification System to ensure that all individuals
working in the U.S. are authorized to do so
Funding for the Commission on Immigration and Labor Markets to provide sound,
researched and objective employment based immigration policy
Dislocated workers assistance national reserve funding
Establishment of AWRMS programs and funds educational purposes
Funding to reduce the USCIS visa backlog to ensure a timely and reliable process for all
individuals applying for visas and further the integration of new Americas with programs
that, for example, facilitate citizenship for legal permanent resident students and create
citizenship promotion services
Funding for border security, detention and enforcement activities

American Worker Recruit and Match System: Title V establishes the American Worker
Recruit and Match System (AWRMS), which is an internet-based program that is set up by each
State Workforce Agency (SWA) to be incorporated into current Web-based job search engines.
AWRMS is a searchable database that allows employers to post job opportunities in fields that
have traditionally relied on unauthorized labor. In addition, individuals can post their
employment profiles and AWRMS will match employers with qualified individuals.

Protecting Workers: Title V protects foreign workers from exploitation and abuse by ensuring
that each prospective employee is provided a written description of the terms of their
employment which may not knowingly include any misleading or false information. In addition,
each employer must provide to the Secretary of Labor the identity of all recruiters working on
their behalf and any possible violations committed by a recruiter. An employer will be held
responsible for the actions of a recruiter and may be subject to civil penalties.

H-1B visa program: The current H-1B visa program does not adequately protect American or
H-1B workers. Title V reforms the H-1B visa program to:

Ensure that before an employer can hire an H-1B worker, the employer must meet strict
requirements for the recruitment of American workers
Authorize the Department of Labor (DOL) to initiate investigations into possible fraud and
abuse in the absence of a formal complaint and/or the Secretary’s approval.
Increase penalties for violations
Authorize the DOL to conduct annual audits of employers that rely heavily on the H-1B
program

L-1 visa program: The L-1 visa program is currently vulnerable to fraud and abuse. CIR ASAP
authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to audit L-1 visa participants. Penalties will be
assessed for violations of the provisions of the L-1 visa program.

H-2B visa program: The H-2B visa program is reformed to prevent the exploitation of H-2B
non-immigrants and the depression of wages and other workplace abuses by exploitative
employers. Reforms to the program:

Include stricter requirements for recruitment of American workers
Prevent employers from participating in the program if they have conducted a mass lay-off in
the past year and includes strengthened worker protections

EB-5 Visa program: The EB-5 Visa program is permanently reauthorized within Title V with
an increase in available visas to 10,000. It also allows for an expedited processing of petitions
for a fee of $2,500. The definition of Targeted Employment Area (TEA) is expanded to include:

Rural areas,
High-unemployment areas
Counties with a 20 percent or more population decrease since 1970
Areas within the boundaries of state or federal economic development incentive programs
Areas designated as TEAs by a state agency authorized by the Governor
Areas designated as TEAs during the two year period before visa application

In addition, Title V requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to study and report on the
current job creation counting methodology and how to promote the employment creation
program to overseas investors. Lastly it creates a new category of job-producing foreigners
eligible for visas: venture capitalist seeking a Founder’s visa.

TITLE VI – INTEGRATION OF NEW AMERICANS

Immigration Fees: Immigration fees have risen steeply in the past decade. Title VI will ensure
that future fee increase requests receive closer scrutiny than provided by the largely perfunctory
regulatory public comment process. Title VI incorporates and expands on provisions of the
Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007 to make citizenship more accessible and affordable. This
title:

Provides for greater transparency for immigration application fees and encourages a uniform
process to submit fee waiver applications
Provides for uniform administration of the naturalization exam
Promotes citizenship of the elderly by adjusting the age requirements for English language
exemption

Improving the Naturalization Process: The process for naturalization is lengthy and difficult to
navigate. Title VI creates reforms that encourage citizenship among immigrant communities.
This section requires timely response on background checks and evaluates their efficiency. In
addition, this title includes a grant program for community based organizations to promote and
help immigrants prepare for citizenship. These grants in support of naturalization efforts will
assist legal permanent residents with:

English language and citizenship classes
Legal assistance
Community outreach activities
Assisting aliens with applications for citizenship

Integration Grant Programs:

Title VI includes a grant program for education, training and support efforts relating to the
provisions of the CIR ASAP Act, including protections from immigration fraud and the
availability of benefits provided by the act. Provisions ensure that to the extent possible, the
nonprofit community organizations receiving grants serve geographically diverse and ethnically
diverse locations.

USCIS Grant Program: Title VI establishes a grant program within USCIS that provides
funding to community-based organizations, including community-based legal service
organizations, as appropriate, to develop and implement programs to assist eligible applicants for
naturalization. Grants provided for in Title VI will be funded through fees and fines deposited in
the Security and Prosperity Account.

Initial Entry, Adjustment, and Citizenship Assistant Grant Program: Title VI establishes
the Initial Entry, Adjustment and Citizenship Assistance Grant Program. IEACA grants will be
awarded to community-based organizations for the design and implementation of programs to
provide the following services:

Assistance and instruction, including legal assistance, to aliens making initial application for
conditional nonimmigrant or conditional nonimmigrant dependent classification
Assistance and instruction, including legal assistance, to aliens seeking to adjust their status
Assistance and instruction to applicants on the rights and responsibilities of US citizenship
and English language proficiency

Improving Naturalization for Legal Permanent Residents: Facilitates citizenship among
Legal Permanent Resident students that want to naturalize. Legal Permanent Resident students
will be deemed to have satisfied the language and civics requirements for naturalization if they
are able to demonstrate they graduated high school after completing grades 6 through 12 in the
United States and the curriculum reflects knowledge of U.S. history, Government, and civics.

Strengthening Communities: Title VI strengthens and unites communities by creating
incentives for English language acquisition programs. Creates tax credits for teachers in limited
English proficient schools. Provides employers with a tax credit for qualified English language
education programs. Authorizes states to form State New American Councils comprised of 15-
19 individuals from state and local government, business and community organizations.

Celebrating Citizenship: Title VI celebrates the citizenship of new Americans and encourages
these individuals to integrate into their communities. It provides for the availability of funds to
the Director of USCIS or to approved public or private nonprofit entities to support public
ceremonies for administering oaths of allegiance to naturalizing legal immigrants. Independence
Day naturalization ceremonies include appropriate outreach, ceremonial, and celebratory
activities. This program shall be funded through fees and fines deposited in the Security and
Prosperity Account.