Thread: ? about who needs to speak at least some English

Is the ability to speak English a requirement for getting a green card, becoming a legal permanent Resident, becoming a citizen? Does it matter if you received these privledges yourself, or through a family member? (For example, if a mother had a green card, would her children need to speak English before she could apply for them?)
I'm wondering because I know someone who works for the Dept of Economic Security, and in 2006 a law passed saying only citizens or people lawfully in the US could qualify for Medicaid, Cash Assistance, Food Stamps, or state funded child care, and she also said it seems like most of the women (and some men) being paid by the state to provide child care for family members can't speak a word of English, and neither can a lot of people who present what seem to be valid SSNs to get the other benefits.

Unfortunately you do not need to know any english to get a green card. If you want to see for yourself just come to Miami. There are Cubans who have lived here for 25 years and don't speak English. In fact the parents of the 2 Columbian boys who were deported as they overstayed their visas by over 1o years didn't speak english in interviews. This is what makes me sick and the government allows it. People like myself whose families were immigrants from non english and non spanish speaking countries get very angry when we see it as our relatives all learned to speak english.

This perplexed me too. Here is part of an article I posted on alipac about a crime in my city. The perpetrator, a US citizen needed an interpreter in court?!


Waukegan man pleads guilty to beating death

December 15, 2007
By ART PETERSON apeterson@scn1.com

A Waukegan man charged with first-degree murder has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Jose Guadarrama, 24, and Jose Alejandro Sepulveda, 29, were charged with the July 4 beating death of Ricardo Osario.

Osario, 21, died from the beating. Guadarrama and Sepulveda were charged with first-degree murder.

The incident occurred in the parking lot of the Family Dollar store at Washington and Jackson streets in Waukegan.

Guadarrama pleaded guilty Friday in Lake County Circuit Court to a reduced charge of second-degree murder in exchange for truthful testimony against Sepulveda.

Sepulveda, if convicted, would face a mandatory prison sentence of 20 to 60 years with no possibility of early release.

Guadarrama, a U.S. citizen but speaking through an interpreter, admitted to twice punching Osario in the face.

whole article at link...


http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/news ... S1.article