Don't forget legal immigrants

When people hear the word "immigration," they think "illegal immigration." They think of Mexico, Managua and all points south. But immigration entails much, much more.

That's the message of Mario R. Ortiz, the District Director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. And he has the numbers to back him up. Each day, for example, 3,000 people become citizens of the United States. Of those, two-thirds are from non-Spanish speaking countries. In fact, most immigrants come from Bosnia. Each year, Immigration Services offers 50,000 citizens of the world a chance to become Americans in an international lottery. Just last week, new citizens from 53 different nations gave the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time, often through tears and cheers.

In the hubbub over undocumented workers, legal immigrants are sometimes washed to the periphery. In truth, they should be placed proudly at center stage as examples of the what America is all about.

When the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was dismantled, many feared the split would cause deeper divisions. But the parcelling out of duties has worked very well. Instead of having to practice law enforcement in the morning and offering social services in the afternoon, the CIS can now concentrate on the maze of laws and statutes that immigrants must negotiate to become citizens. And the rules do run rampant. Cubans, for instance, are allowed to stay in the United States once they've touched American soil; but any Haitians in the same boat would be sent home. Political harassment in one's home country can move an immigrant to the top of the list, but economic harassment doesn't pack the same clout. And if an immigrant has a SPUD (spouse, parent or unmarried daughter or son) who happens to be a citizen , then the wheels spin more quickly for them.

As it is now, the backlog of applicants has grown so large that some people outside of the country must wait 10 to 15 years to get a visa. Even those here legally have had to wait a year and half just to get a reply to a simple letter. The Bush administration, admirably, has recently greased the skids and the waiting time for responses has now shrunk to six months.

In the end, the arguments and anger may continue to percolate over the issue of illegal immigration, but legal immigration has, for the most part, stayed above the fray. The people at the Citizenship and Immigration Services are working overtime to provide information, help and coaching for all freshly-minted Americans. Only the mean-spirited and uninformed would begrudge such an effort.