Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

By: Allison Posner*

Out of many, one.  This phrase was suggested by the committee appointed by Congress to design a seal for the United States of America on July 4, 1776. Yesterday, President Obama reminded us of this motto found on our nation’s coins in his first speech about immigration since taking office last January.  The President stated that “being an American is not a matter of blood or birth.  It’s a matter of faith.  It’s a matter of fidelity to the shared values that we all hold so dear.”

Over the past month, the debate over health care has heated up as both sides argue about how immigration plays into reform.  In addition, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) discussed the possibility of increasing the fees to apply for citizenship and a U.S. citizen was deported twice after the FBI ignored evidence of his citizenship.  These stories and others proved to be popular among readers of CLINIC’s daily Immigration News Briefings.  The following are the top five most read stories for the month of September:

Most of us don’t think about our citizenship status. We claim our country of birth proudly. That pride is doubled for immigrants who wait eagerly to apply for citizenship and naturalize as American citizens. There is no doubt it is a moment to remember.