Advocates of Citizenship Propose $15 Million for 'Support Centers'

Immigrant advocates and officials from Maryland and Virginia said yesterday that they will seek $15 million to help tens of thousands of eligible area immigrants obtain U.S. citizenship.

"This is about getting people who have become [legal] permanent residents to become U.S. citizens . . . so they can become full participants in this society," said J. Walter Tejada (D), chairman of the Arlington County Board, at a news conference to announce the proposal.

The three-year plan, which was primarily developed by the advocacy groups CASA de Maryland and Tenants and Workers United of Virginia, is modeled on similar initiatives in California and Illinois. It would use a combination of federal, state, county and private sources to fund as many as 25 "Naturalization Support Centers." The centers would provide a range of services, including educational outreach, test preparation, legal counseling, referrals to English courses and assistance with filling out applications.

The proposal envisions about $6.2 million, or 41 percent, of funding coming from state and federal sources and $1.2 million, or 8 percent, from county and local governments.

At a time of fiscal constraints and controversy over immigration policy, obtaining that level of financing could prove a challenge. In recent months, the governors and legislatures of Maryland and Virginia considered including as much as $1 million for naturalization assistance in their respective budgets but abandoned the idea.

Supporters of the "New Americans Initiative" -- including representatives of Maryland and Virginia's governors -- said they hoped that by repackaging their efforts as part of a comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional plan, they can generate sufficient interest and momentum to succeed next year.

After four decades of decline, the share of foreign-born residents who become citizens has been rising rapidly since the 1990s, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center last year. By 2005, almost 60 percent of eligible immigrants nationwide had become citizens. The figures are higher in Virginia and Maryland, where the percentage of eligible immigrants who have become naturalized citizens reached 65 percent and 71 percent respectively.

Still, immigrant advocates said the fact that more than 250,000 eligible immigrants in those two states and the District have not become citizens highlights the barriers many face. These include increased application fees, lack of English skills, low education levels, confusion as to whether they are eligible and fear of running afoul of immigration authorities and losing their legal status.