Resolution Adopted by the CCAR
CITIZENSHIP
Adopted by the 108th Annual Convention of the
Central Conference of American Rabbis
June, 1997
Background
The Biblical term “ger,” often translated as “stranger” but more properly
understood as “resident alien,” is one of four groups singled out as deserving of our
special concern and protection. “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for
you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:20) We are gravely
disappointed that the omnibus welfare reform bill passed in August 1996 creates a
distinction between “gerim” and native-born Americans, granting the latter
benefits that are denied the former and undermining God’s mandate that we accord
the stranger equal treatment before the law. While condemning this distinction and
pledging to work to eliminate it, we recognize our obligation to minimize the impact
of the cutoff of benefits on immigrant families, and therefore affirm our commitment
to facilitating naturalization efforts.
Following the passage of the omnibus welfare reform bill, the number of citizenship
applications has more than tripled, reaching over one million applications in 1996.
Inevitably, this rise in applications has seriously complicated the naturalization
process. Additionally, the 1996 welfare reform bill set August 22, 1997, as the
deadline for cutoff of benefits to those in the process of naturalizing. In an effort to
alleviate a backlog of applications, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
initiated Citizenship USA, a program which increased its staff, improved its
technology, and streamlined procedures. In addition, INS began to “out-source” its
services to community non-profit organizations, allowing these organizations to
assist applicants and administer the INS Citizenship exam.
Despite these efforts, however, Citizenship USA has fallen under attack. Some
Republicans have claimed that Citizenship USA was motivated by election year
politics; a Democratic party effort to speed up and simplify naturalization to gain
immigrants’ votes. The same critics denounce “out-sourcing,” fearing fraudulent
applications, cheating on exams, and improprieties by service providers.
Furthermore, there has been recent controversy regarding the naturalization of
immigrants before the FBI has completed criminal record checks.
Under current law, refugees are cut off from almost all federal benefit programs after
their first five years in the United States. This fact, coupled with the backlog of
applications and the statute requiring immigrants to wait four years and nine months
after arriving in the United States before submitting an application for citizenship,
leads to the inevitable loss of benefits for some period of time for many refugees
seeking to become United States citizens.
In addition to the Citizenship USA initiative, the required citizenship civics exam
has become the center of controversy. Many politicians fear that the INS is too
lenient in its methods of granting citizenship, arguing that the test questions are too
simple and do not adequately measure an immigrant’s understanding of the way our
government functions. Furthermore, detractors have argued that many test-takers do
not demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in basic written and oral English.
THEREFORE, the Commission on Social Action of Reform Judaism resolves to
Urge Congress to address problems created by the increasing backlog in processing
citizenship applications by:
Supporting the continuation of “out-sourcing” its naturalization services to
community based organizations, with proper safeguards to ensure minimal fraud and
misuse of power;
Supporting efforts to increase FBI resources to assist in processing immigrants’
criminal and fingerprint checks;
Extending the August 22, 1997, deadline for cutoff of benefits to non-citizens in the
application process.
Urge Congress to extend the refugee exemption from the bar to federal benefits from five
years to seven years;
Recognize the difficulties faced by immigrants seeking citizenship in the United States,
and ask, therefore, that any reform made to the required civics and English proficiency
exams be made in full consultation with immigrant organizations, service providers and
others involved in the naturalization process;
Call upon UAHC congregations to join with local federations, community relations
councils, and other organizations to offer their assistance and help provide tutoring and
other services to immigrants struggling to become naturalized citizens;
Call upon UAHC congregations to assist in finding alternative sources of funding and
care for those immigrants with mental and physical disabilities who are unable to
naturalize and, thus, ineligible to receive most federal benefits; and,
Oppose any legislation to further restrict eligibility for citizenship.