Among the less
publicized features of the Senate immigration reform legislation are its
provisions on immigrant integration. As important as questions of admission
numbers and criteria are, immigration policy isn’t the end of the story. The
ability of immigrants and their children to adapt to life in the United States and
fully contribute to our economy and society will greatly influence our course as a
nation. Getting through the door is one
thing; having a seat at the table is another; and achieving one’s full
potential as a human being is still another.
In recognition of this reality, the bill calls for the
establishment of several bodies to monitor and support immigrant integration at
federal, state and local levels. For the first time in recent history, the U.S.
may be ready to move away from the laissez-faire policy, or some would say
non-policy, that has been the general rule on the federal level. At the apex of
this new structure will be the Office of Citizenship and New Americans (OCNA)
within USCIS, which replaces the current Office of Citizenship. OCNA will have
a broader mission under the Senate legislation encompassing not only the
citizenship process (citizenship promotion, preparation, and testing) but also coordinating
federal, state, and local efforts to integrate immigrants, developing
benchmarks to measure integration efforts, and monitoring the effectiveness of
these efforts.
Assisting OCNA in achieving its mission at the federal level
will be a 13-member Task Force on New Americans (TFNA) to be fully functional
18 months after enactment of the bill. The Task Force will be comprised of the
secretaries or their designees of eight cabinet-level departments, including
health and human services, labor, and education, as well as the Directors of
the Domestic Policy Council, National Economic Council, and the Office of
Management and Budget.
The Bill also establishes a new public-private partnership
called the United States Citizenship Foundation (USCF) to raise and disburse
private funds in support of the work of the OCNA. USCF is empowered to disburse
funds directly to eligible public or private non-profit organizations and state
or local government. It may also use
funds to support the work of OCNA. The
USCF will also oversee the New Citizens Award Program, recognizing the
contributions of ten naturalized citizens every year who have made “outstanding
contributions to the United States” during the 10-year period after
naturalization.
Assisting USCF will be a new 12-member Council of Directors
consisting of the Secretary of USCIS, the head of OCNA, and representatives
from 10 “national community-based organizations that promote and assist
permanent residents with naturalization.”
The legislation authorizes $160 million in grant funding to
support the objectives of the immigrant integration program. Of this amount,
$10 million goes to support the OCNA through 2018. Another allocation ($100
million for the 5-year period ending on September 30, 2018) is earmarked for
Initial Entry, Adjustment, and Citizenship Assistance (IEACA) grants to
“eligible public or private, nonprofit organizations” to help with processing
applicants for provisional immigrant status. The legislation, however, also stipulates
that grants may also be used to help people advance to permanent residence and
citizenship, including support for “civics-based English as a second language”
instruction. An additional $50 million
from the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Trust Fund may also be used for
integration-related work. An important provision of the bill establishes a “pilot program to promote immigrant integration at state and local levels.” State and local governments in areas of high immigrant concentration, or in areas that have experienced a large increase in immigrants, will be funded to establish New Immigrant Councils consisting of between 15 and 19 individuals representing a variety of constituencies, including business, nonprofit immigrant service organizations, philanthropic organizations, and key education stakeholders. These councils will “develop, implement, expand, or enhance a comprehensive plan to introduce and integrate new immigrants in the State” and may provide subgrants to other entities.
