[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 5614]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE TENURE OF DR. EMILIO T. GONZALEZ AT UNITED STATES 
                  CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, April 9, 2008

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I would like to take this 
opportunity and spotlight the extraordinary leadership Dr. Emilio T. 
Gonzalez demonstrated while Director of United States Citizenship and 
Immigration Services, USCIS.
  Since his confirmation in late 2005, Director Gonzalez managed an 
organization of more than 17,000 Federal and contract employees 
responsible for the accurate, efficient, and secure processing of 
immigration applications.
  During his tenure, USCIS underwent a period of unprecedented growth, 
revitalization, and expansion. The agency sharpened its fraud detection 
and national security efforts through the creation of the National 
Security and Records Verification Directorate and the deployment of 
Fraud Detection National Security officers to USCIS offices. The 
Nation's signature employment authorization program, E- Verify, grew to 
include 55,000 employer participants and has verified the work status 
of more than 3 million new employees. An ambitious facilities 
revitalization program was initiated by Director Gonzalez, with the 
goal to renovate or replace nearly 40 USCIS facilities over 3 years.
  Director Gonzalez is a shining example of the contributions and 
excellence that the Hispanic community has brought, and will continue 
to bring, to the service of our great Nation.
  Our grateful Nation is proud of his service, and I wish him the best 
in all his future endeavors. We will surely miss him dearly.

                          ____________________