Thread: Immigrants` activist : U.S. citizenship becoming a `luxury`

Immigrants' activist: U.S. citizenship becoming a `luxury'
June 25th, 2008 @ 11:29am
by Jim Cross/KTAR

The bad U.S. economy has made becoming an American citizen a ``luxury" for many people, according to a Valley immigrants' rights activist.

Elias Bermudez with Immigrants Without Borders said it now costs $2,000 to get a green card. Until recently, that cost was $500 to $750.

``Fees have increased almost three times over two to three years ago," Bermudez said. ``With this economy, people just cannot come up with the $2,000 fee that they need to become legal."

He said, ``Unfortunately, people are just taking care of those items that are a primary necessity."

Bermudez fears many immigrants who are eligible to pursue citizenship may be deported ``not because they don't have an ability to stay here, but because they didn't have the money to pay for it."

He said people have few options: ``to ask for waivers from the U.S. government, which are not being granted, or to wait until better times come around."





http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=877960

Luxury???!!! It's a privilege madam. One that I would move heaven and earth to embrace if the opportunity was there and my home country was as bad as stated by some.

The continued arrogance, demands and claims never cease to amaze me

``Fees have increased almost three times over two to three years ago," Bermudez said. ``With this economy, people just cannot come up with the $2,000 fee that they need to become legal."

Heaven forbid they be asked to pay fees to become legal!

They had not problems paying a coyote $3000 and up to be smuggled into this country illegally! They have no problems having one anchor baby after another. They have no problems buying cars, homes, and all the other extras they desire.

But paying $2000 for the greatest gift of all is now placing a hardship on the illegals.

And they wonder why they are detested in this country!

Heck they pay a coyote more than that to get here. Times are hard and as a tax paying citizen I dole out way more than that for property tax every year. I'd like to know where they get the idea everything is free and easy here. Boy are they going to be for a shock if they become "legal" and the reality of citizenship hits them. They keep looking a just what they can "get", when there's a whole lot of giving going on when you're a citizen to live in this country.

Last I knew I didn't see anyone keeping them from leaving if it's too much to handle.