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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 18, 1996
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Contact:
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Tim Schultz
800/787-8216
202/833-0100
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U.S.ENGLISH CHAIRMAN CALLS ON INS TO CLEAN-UP ITS ACT
Cites Widespread Test Fraud, Lack of English Proficiency in Applicants
WASHINGTON, D.C.Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S.ENGLISH, today called on Immigration and Naturalization Service Commissioner Doris Meissner to stop the widespread test fraud in its "Citizenship USA" program. Investigation by a House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee found that private contractors within the Citizenship USA program have enabled immigrants to pass the naturalization test without English proficiency.
"In their haste to reach target goals of new citizens, the INS has hired private contractors to administer the naturalization test for its Citizenship USA program. These contractors have engaged in widespread fraud -- coaching new citizen applicants in their native language and encouraging them to memorize and copy responses to test questions in English. This special "service" provided by contractors paid from federal tax dollars costs applicants, many of whom are impoverished, $285," said Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S.ENGLISH.
Mujica continued, "Once again the federal bureaucracy is allowing wrong-headed initiatives like this one to persist. Instead of upholding the requirement that new citizens be proficient in English, the INS is backing programs which keep immigrants from learning English. Study after study has shown that immigrants who learn English earn higher wages. Surely our government should be making English acquisition its number one priority for new citizens."
U.S.ENGLISH has been the driving force behind the enactment of official English legislation at both the state and federal levels since the founding of the organization in 1983 by former Senator S.I. Hayakawa, himself an immigrant of Japanese ancestry. Currently 23 states have enacted legislation adopting English as their official language. In the last 18 months, Georgia, Montana, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming have enacted official English legislation with the help of U.S.ENGLISH. U.S.ENGLISH is a national non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to making English the official language of the U.S. government at all levels. The organization has over 1.3 million members.
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