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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services bureau has failed in its efforts to reduce massive backlogs in processing applications for citizenship, according to a report card released Monday by a coalition of immigrant rights groups.

In the report card, issued by a range of organizations, the Bush administration received an A for its rhetoric on immigrants and an F for failing to decrease backlogs while also proposing to increase processing fees. The coalition gave Bush and USCIS, a Homeland Security Department agency, an "incomplete" for its efforts to revamp the test given to immigrants seeking naturalization, but warned that if the plan goes ahead as scheduled, as many as 10 percent of those who take the test will fail.

The coalition includes groups such as the New York Immigration Coalition, the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

On Monday, Jeanne Butterfield, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said that the backlogs and processing delays for immigrants seeking to become citizens and lawful permanent residents have reached "unprecedented levels." About 6.2 million petitions await adjudication, while the waiting time for naturalization now approaches three years.

"Congress and the administration must accept their share of the blame," Butterfield added.

The Bush administration has proposed a nearly $100 million cut in the funding USCIS receives to try reduce the backlogs. The agency will receive $235 million this year, but only $140 million in 2005 under the administration's plan. Part of the cutback would be recovered by increases in processing fees. An immigrant filing an application for naturalization, for example, would pay $320 under the proposal. The current fee is $260.

The advocates also said that the division of the old Immigration and Naturalization Service into three parts--one bureau for investigations within the United States, one for the border, and one for the adjudication of immigration applications--has given investigators license to harass immigrants.

"We've seen a reluctance to engage in dialogue with local community organizations," Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, said of the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement bureau, the enforcement wing of DHS. "They've become more independent and aggressive in their dealings with the immigrant community."

In some cases, Salas said, immigrants are picked up by investigators and charged with being in the country illegally, when they are actually waiting for adjudication of a petition for citizenship or permanent residence. A lack of communication between the two bureaus is a problem, she said.

Fred Tsao, immigration and citizenship director of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said he was working with USCIS to overhaul its proposal for revamping the test that all applicants for citizenship must take. The proposal aims to gauge more accurately an immigrant's command of English and of American culture and government. But Tsao said "at least 10 percent of applicants would have trouble with the formats" that the agency is proposing.

COMMENTS

• I have an idea. Let's get rid of USCIS and save the hundreds of millions of dollars. Just declare the 6.2 million in process of citizenship as citizens! They are here, they work or raise families, they get all the benefits of citizens except the vote, and they should be citizens if they declare that they want to be citizens. I just saved the government hundreds of millions of dollars and increased our population of citizens tremendously. GovExec.com reader Posted March 18, 2004 7:07 AM
• The backlog is deliberate or the USCIS is the most incompetent government agency. After being told on numerous occasions during the last two years that my wife's citizenship paperwork is in order, and all background investigations completed successfully, she received yesterday a request for her to provide another set of fingerprints. For the third time! And not only that, but if she doesn't do it by June, she will have to start the whole process over. Amazing! These are the clowns that are supposed to ensure bad evildoers aren't afforded entry or citizenship. God help us. John Meinhofer Posted March 17, 2004 3:07 AM
• I agree whole heartily with this article, but venture further to say that after dealing unsuccesfully with this agency on behalf of my foreign born wife the last two years with her citizenship application, I am convinced that USCIS is purposely dragging their feet on adjudicating ten's of thousands, or perhaps millions of pending cases until after the November elections. The shameful ways USCIS under this administration are treating future citizens can only guarantee they would not vote Republican at their first opportunity. I certainly won't make that mistake again. John Meinhofer Posted March 2, 2004 7:36 AM