This has always been a basic belief of our country. My bill would give those mentally retarded aliens the opportunity to become citizens. without embarrassment and without the added burden to their families and legal guardians. The present statute causes great hardship on certain families which have immigrated to the United States having mentally retarded children as family members. In the space of time required by the heads of these households to become citizens of our Nation. many of their retarded children will attain the age of adulthood chronologically. According to our laws. having attained the age of 18. these mentally retarded individuals are now required to demonstrate performances expected of a person with normal faculties in order for them to become U.S. citizens. For example. the law requires that a person who seeks naturalization demonstrate knowledge of and attachment to the Constitution of the United States of America. He must comprehend the effect of the oath of renunciation and the allegiance and the nature of the obligation of citizenship. Yet. we know that many mentally retarded adults are simply not capable of such abstract conceptualization. Thus. we have a most unfortunate situation. The families have come to make their home in this country. vet they must now anguish over the denial of citizenship for their mentally retarded member. Various Immigration and Naturalization Service agents have personally informed me that they too are anguished in having to enforce this law. I strongly believe that it was not the intention of the Immigration and Nationality Act to deny citizenship to these particular mentally retarded individuals and thereby ultimately cause hardship to their families who truly are eligible to become citizens. It is with this belief in mind that I am reintroducing this. legislation today. Mr.
Keywords matched
naturalization Immigration immigrated Naturalization