Washington, DC, May 2, 2006 – The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) is calling on the Sikh American community to contact us if you or someone you know have experienced delays while undergoing the naturalization process in the United States. According to an article in the San Bernardino County Sun, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicators are violating regulations in failing to process naturalizations within the mandated 120-day time frame. According to an internal memo cited in the article, some immigrants have waited between ten months to 4 years to go through the naturalization process. SALDEF is working with the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), along with 40 immigration attorneys, who will be filing writs of mandamus on behalf of hundred of immigrants whose petitions for naturalizations have been delayed beyond the mandated 120 day period in order to highlight the immigration problem. In the past, when an immigration attorney filed a writ of mandamus for significantly delayed petitions, their clients were immediately granted naturalization. However this added step in the process significantly increases the cost, and delay, of the naturalization process. SALDEF urges Sikhs that have experienced similar delays in the naturalization process to contact SALDEF immediately either via email info@saldef.org or by phone at 202-393-2700, so that these incidents can be documented and addressed. Please provide information to the following specific questions:
- Are you represented by an immigration attorney?
- Have you filed a petition for naturalization (an N-400)? If so, on what date did you file?
- What is your current status?
- Were you granted a naturalization interview? If so, what was the date of the interview?
- Have you inquired about the status of your naturalization petition? If so, what were you told?
Through this nationwide legal campaign, we hope to call attention to this nationwide problem for immigrants seeking naturalization. PLEASE distribute this to your family, friends and at the local Gurdwara. ### END ###