Mr. President. today. I am pleased to introduce legislation to address a fundamentally important need in the United States--the unmet desire of new and recent immigrants to learn the English language and prepare to become naturalized U.S. citizens. My bill. in which I am joined by my friend and colleague from my own State of Illinois. Senator MOSELEYBRAUN. is the companion to a bill introduced earlier this month by my friend Luis GUTIERREZ. the Representative from Illinois. and endorsed by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This bill reimburses State and local governments and community based organizations for educational services to the approximately 1.9 million permanent residents who gained legal status under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Approximately 5.3 percent of these permanent residents live in Illinois. They are now beginning to be eligible to apply to become naturalized U.S. citizens. In 1986. Congress committed up to $4 billion to State and local governments and private service agencies who would provide health. education. and welfare support services to newly legalized aliens.
Keywords matched
naturalized immigrants Immigration