Napolitano Hosts Immigration Information Fair

(Washington D.C.)- Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano sponsored the second annual immigration fair in the La Puente/Bassett area on Saturday, September 24. The fair was designed to help immigrants seeking assistance in the immigration maze, especially those leaning toward naturalization.

          “Becoming a U.S. citizen is the culmination of many years of hard work for most immigrants,” said Napolitano, D-Norwalk. “They come to the United States looking for a better life for themselves and their families. They deserve that opportunity if they have complied with U.S. rules and regulations.”

          There have been radical changes to Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) now known as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). USCIS from Laguna Nigel and Los Angeles instructed community members on new procedures such as: Homeland Security vs. Immigration Services, Employment Cards, Naturalization, Family Petitions, Back Logs of immigration applications waiting to be reviewed, and InfoPass which is a new internet program used by immigrants to check application status.

          Recognized legal experts from several community groups also attended to offer advice on the immigration process. Participating groups  were: The 605 Citizenship Project, the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Catholic Charities/Immigration and Refugee Department, The Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights (CHIRLA), The National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, Neighborhood Legal Services, L.A. County Consumer Affairs and Central American Resources Center (CARECEN).

           “Trusted nonprofit groups provided immigrants with access to information. Our biggest and heaviest caseload has and continues to be requests for Immigration services and their efforts at this fair assisted our efforts tremendously,” Napolitano added. 

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