"Over the coming weeks, the Senate will engage in a debate on comprehensive immigration reform. I believe real immigration reform must encompass three important steps. First, we must secure our borders. Second, we need to create a legal status for foreign workers and students who come here. Several senators have introduced legislation with these goals in mind, and I intend to introduce legislation to ensure that our immigration system welcomes foreign students to study at our universities."
"The third step is indispensable to immigration reform: to help prospective citizens become American. Just recently there was a report in Florida of a 27-year-old Guatemalan man who posed as an 18-year-old so that he could attend public high school and learn English there. So we know that immigrants are eager to learn."
"That is why I recently introduced the Strengthening American Citizenship Act with Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The Strengthening American Citizenship Act helps and encourages legal immigrants who are prospective American citizens to learn our common language, history, and way of government by:"
"Providing $500 grants for English courses;
Allowing prospective citizens who become fluent in English to apply for citizenship one year early;
Providing grants to organizations to offer courses in American history and civics;
Authorizing the creation of a new foundation to assist in these efforts;
Codifying the Oath of Allegiance to which new citizens swear when they are naturalized, and;
Asking the Department of Homeland Security to carry out a strategy to highlight the ceremonies where immigrants become American citizens."
A press release issued by Alexander's office is here, and the text of the Act is here.
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