A RESOLUTION denouncing the enormous backlog of citizenship applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services that is currently preventing over 18,000 immigrants in Seattle from becoming U.S. citizens and voters; and affirming The City of Seattle’s recognition of immigrants as New Americans who: are an integral part of Seattle’s communities; supports them as they integrate into Seattle and the nation; upholds their right and opportunity to receive fair and equal treatment in their journey to obtain legal status, including citizenship, under the U.S. Constitution, statutes, and regulations.
Item 12. Oh my. There is. Am I brothers? Please read agenda item number 12. Adoption of other resolutions and item 12 Resolution 318 32. Denouncing the enormous backlog of citizen applications before U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. That's currently preventing over 18,000 immigrants in Seattle from becoming U.S. citizens and voters in affirming the city's recognition of immigrants as new Americans who are an integral part of states. Communities support them as they integrate into Seattle and the nation, uphold their rights and the opportunity to receive fair and equitable treatment in their journey to obtain legal status, including citizenship under the U.S. Constitution, statutes and regulations. I apologize for that. Councilman Gonzales, you had the floor. That's okay. It's been a busy day and it's 4:40 p.m., so I understand. I will try to keep my remarks brief. I'm really excited about advancing this resolution. There are many immigrant rights advocates and service providers that have identified a disturbing trend since January of 2016 that has resulted in a significant backlog of applications for naturalization at USCIS. Specifically, since President Trump has taken office, the backlog of naturalization applications has increased by over 93% for a total of 753,352 backlogged applications across the country for two years in a row. USCIS has failed to naturalize more legal, permanent residents than they have actually naturalized. Here in Seattle, we are seeing this backlog impacted by the fact that there are nearly 19,000 local immigrants with pending applications awaiting a decision by USCIS just right here in Seattle alone. This is what we referred to as the second wall. And the intent of this backlog is clear. It targets our immigrant communities by preventing legal, permanent residents from becoming citizens with all the benefits and the sense that that permanence holds. Attaining citizenship is a transformative experience for immigrants, something my family knows firsthand, having gone through that process. My my mom went through that process several years ago. And I think it's important for us to continue to support immigrants who have a legal right to become naturalized citizens, to be able to do so as quickly as possible. USCIS is serving the political agenda of the federal administration rather than serving the people is harmful for individuals, families and the community that surrounds those individuals. The City of Seattle has long valued our immigrant residents and support naturalization efforts. We've dedicated resources to launch the New Citizen campaign in 2016. That work is led by our Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs. The New Citizen campaign supports both small and large, and mega workshops, facilitate partnerships with credit unions to help individuals manage the costs of applications, and has brought vital partners to this work from the private and public sector together. I want to thank some of the advocates that showed up today. They have stormed the length of this council meeting and are still in the audience of folks from One America in the Romanos and the West African Community Council have been so gracious to make sure that they're here to support this resolution and to take it back into community, to make sure that community members know that we stand with them and want to see and will continue to advocate for action at USCIS to meaningfully address the backlog issue. And I know that one America in particular signed on to a letter of national organizations last week demanding that the federal administration provide answers as to why the backlog exists and what will be done to create meaningful improvement in and reduction of that bag backlog. It's an incredibly important piece of advocacy for us to do and will be talking to our federal lobbyists to see how the City of Seattle can engage in conversations with our delegation and other members of Congress to continue to advocate for addressing this significant backlog. That has a real impact in terms of the work many of our advocacy organizations are doing to naturalize people and also the work that the city of Seattle itself is doing to naturalize folks. It's one thing to support the completion and the financing of these naturalization applications, but we end up damaging the credibility we have with the community. If, after all of that effort, that application sits on a shelf collecting dust because there isn't a judge or an administrative judge to just process the application. So this is a really important component of not just defending our immigrant refugee community, but advocating and making sure that we are advancing the immigrant and refugee community to to a legal right that they are entitled to and that they should be provided due process in in giving. So I'm excited that we are taking this position, that we are recognizing this, that we are joining a national movement around this issue and. And we'll be looking forward to working with my colleagues and other community based organizations in partnership to continue advocacy around here. Lastly, I just like to thank Joaquin we from the Office of Immigrant and Refugee Affairs for his leadership on this issue and helping us draft this resolution, along with being one in my office for helping to also shape the resolution and seeing it through fruition. Thank you. Very good, Councilman Gonzales. Any comments on the resolution? Okay. Those in favor of adopting the resolution please vote. I, i. Those oppose vote no. The motion carries a resolution is adopt and show. Sign it. Can now is there any further business cover for the council to? Thank you guys for sticking it out? I do. Councilmember Gonzalez. I know you guys have heard from me a lot today. I'm sorry about that. I need to be excused. I moved to be excused on September 4th. Oh, yeah. Two moved in second with the concern over. Wait a minute. Nope. Yep. Fourth, that's Tuesday. Councilmember Gonzalez be excused on September 4th. All those in favor say I. I opposed. The ayes have it unopposed. I'm okay. Okay. Councilmember Sharma. So on. Why did you execute? She said I did not. I didn't know. Just to clarify, I did not oppose the absence I raised my hand to. Soon she did. I also move to be excused from city council meeting on September 4th. Like I second it's been moving since September 4th has been moved in second to excuse consumers want on September 4th. Are those in favor say I. I opposed the ayes have it because my mosquito. Mr. President, I would like to move to be excused on September 4th. That's okay. We're keeping track. Second. Yes, but what? You guys worked out a deal before that. Word is dwindling? Yeah, it's. Let's not worry about that. I have to. That's my job to do that. So it's been moved in second and that counts. We're I'm a scared to be excused on September 4th. All those in favor say I. I oppose the ayes have it. Is there any other business come for the council? Okay. And we'll go over the scores as we always do it. Okay? Okay. With that, everyone, have a great afternoon. Afternoon will be on recess until September 4th. Have a great day, stranger.