Two New USCIS Training Centers To Open In North Texas
The Dallas Morning News reports today that two regional training centers will open in Dallas in January for new employees of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a government agency swamped by naturalization petitions. Excerpts:
The move comes as the agency hires 1,500 additional employees nationwide to deal with a surge in citizenship applications. The increase has caused processing time to triple, to up to 18 months in Texas and nationwide.
The number of naturalization applications nearly doubled, to 1.4 million, in fiscal year 2007, as some legal immigrants tried to meet a July deadline for a fee increase, and others reacted to a crackdown against illegal immigrants that spilled into the legal immigrant community.
"These facilities will enhance the agility and focus to confront the complex national security challenges ahead, provide excellence in customer service, and operate effectively across interoffice and organizational boundaries," agency director Emilio Gonzalez said Wednesday.
Dallas has one of only three regional offices for Citizenship and Immigration Services, an agency within the Homeland Security Department that has faced mounting lawsuits over the processing delays.