PRESIDENT BUSH ATTENDS NATURALIZATION CEREMONY, REVEALS INS BUDGET


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This week President Bush made his first visit to New York City.  Immigration
was a primary topic during the trip, with Bush leading a group of 29 new US
citizens in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance immediately following the
naturalization ceremony on Ellis Island.  At the ceremony Bush again stated
his commitment to reducing the adjudication times for immigration and
naturalization applications.  He has promised to dedicate $500 million over
the next five years to bring processing times down to six months.  During
his speech he also called on Congress to act promptly in creating a
temporary reauthorization of section 245(i).

The White House also released a statement this week outlining the ways in
which the Bush Administration would like to reform current immigration
procedures.  It mentioned the $500 million in funding to improve processing
times.  Along with improving the process for legal immigrants, the statement
also referred to “improving US immigration law enforcement and ensuring the
safety of our borders.”  To this end, the Bush budget requests $75 million
to hire 570 new Border Patrol agents in 2002 and 2003, bringing the total
number of Border Patrol agents to about 11,000.  In addition, $20 million in
funding is requested for high-tech detection devices, and $7 million for the
creation of intelligence units to track smuggling activity.



The whole requested INS budget for fiscal year 2002 is $5.51 billion, a ten
percent increase over 2001.  It calls for the creation of 1,364 new
positions, which would bring the total number of people employed by the INS
to more than 36,200.

FROM VISALAW.COM

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