[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 110 (Wednesday, July 11, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  INTRODUCTION OF THE KENDELL FREDERICK CITIZENSHIP ASSISTANCE ACT OF 
                                  2007

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 11, 2007

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Kendell 
Frederick Citizenship Assistance Act of 2007, which will assist over 
68,000 non-citizens serving in the U.S. military in their quest to 
become citizens of the United States. Their sacrifice on behalf of this 
Nation is great; therefore, those who protect our country as non-
citizens should undoubtedly be able to quickly bypass unwarranted red 
tape when applying for citizenship.
  This legislation honors the memory of 21-year-old Army Reserve Spc. 
Kendell K. Frederick, a resident of Baltimore County and native of 
Trinidad who was stationed in Iraq when he made the decision to become 
a U.S. citizen. On October 19, 2005, after trying for more than a year 
to become a citizen and having his application delayed at least five 
times due to miscommunication and misinformation in the processing of 
his fingerprints, Kendell had no other choice but to travel with a 
convoy to a base to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, he was killed on 
the way by a roadside bomb, never realizing his dream of becoming an 
American citizen.
  Spc. Frederick died while trying to show his gratitude to this 
country, to a Nation that finally showed its appreciation far too late 
by awarding him citizenship posthumously. Surely, it did not have to be 
this way. This legislation corrects this wrong by removing unnecessary 
hurdles that our non-citizen armed service members have been required 
to undergo in applying for citizenship along with ensuring that they 
are provided with assistance from the military and immigration 
officials, especially during their deployment. Specifically, the Act 
would assist our non-citizen men and women in uniform on the pathway to 
citizenship by making the following needed adjustments:

  requires the Department of Homeland Security use the fingerprints 
taken by the military at induction for citizenship applications;
  requires non-citizen military service members to submit their 
citizenship applications within 24 months of enlistment;
  requires the Department of Homeland Security to create a dedicated 
customer service 1-800 phone line for service members and their 
families to call with questions;
  requires the Department of Homeland Security to promptly update and 
revise its written and electronic citizenship application, instructions 
and guidebook within 30 days of any material change in the law or 
regulation; and
  ensures executive agency accountability to Congress by requiring a 
GAO report documenting how the Department of Homeland Security 
currently handles military service members' citizenship applications as 
well as the training that DHS personnel receive regarding military 
citizenship applications.
  Non-citizens are 5 percent of the total active duty U.S. military 
service members. According to the United States Citizenship and 
Immigration Services (USCIS), between September 11, 2001 and December 
2006, 84 non-citizen armed services members (including Spc. Frederick) 
killed in action have been awarded posthumous citizenship. For their 
sacrifice, these non-citizens more than deserve not to be entangled in 
overly burdensome bureaucratic red tape.
  Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support our troops by supporting 
this bill.

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