Inside the Department of Homeland Security

This morning Alysa and I met with Immigration Services to meet our new contact, Cyndi Harper, who is in charge of all naturalization ceremonies in the state of Arizona. When we first arrived we went through some pretty intensive security. Two security officers checked our identification outside and one had to rendezvous with someone inside before even letting us in the building. Then, past the metal detectors,  we were again asked for our id and what business we were there for. I guess security has been quite intensive since SB1070. Apparently when there were marches and gatherings in the recent months, all the employees have been asked to close their windows and were warned about serious security threats. It is certainly nice to see such strong precautions being taken for a building filled with government employees and many immigrants who will soon be America's newest citizens. But at the same time it makes you realize how much immigration has become a serious daily issue for so many here in this state.

Once we had met Mrs. Harper, we realized that she would be fantastic to work with. The office was undergoing one of their four annual audits of every imaginable file in the building, so you can imagine the kind of hectic atmosphere we were walking into. But such are the demands of working in a public institution I suppose. Even among tables stacked high with files, we were able to have a very good first meeting.

Mrs. Harper went over her responsibilities with us, and Alysa presented our organization and our curriculum. Everything seemed to mesh incredibly well. Not only are they incredibly supportive and accommodating for our program, but we fulfill some of their goals of community outreach as well. And with a quota of 900 naturalizations a month, on a very low budget, Immigration Services seemed elated that we could help take some of the workload.

One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss the possible outreach opportunities for different schools this year. Expanding our program beyond just charter and public schools, and beyond the phoenix area would be a huge step in the right direction. Mrs. Harper suggested reaching out to children who are home-schooled as well. The only problem here lies with the ceremony event location. One of the stipulations of holding a ceremony is strangely enough, that we must provide chairs for every new citizen. Many community centers and event spaces charge a rental fee for chairs. And since Immigration Services is the only self-funded branch of the Department for Homeland Security, this option isn't possible. In fact, all event locations and chairs must be found at basically 0 cost, or the institution will go over budget. Of all of this "excess fat" that so many politicians continually talk about when referring to public budgets, Immigration Services certainly can't be included. They fund themselves solely and entirely on the fees paid by immigrants going through the naturalization process.

Overall the meeting was absolutely fascinating and I felt lucky to be able to sit in on the building of a relationship that truly does represent the way America should be moving. Creating new and innovative ways of teaching our children about the true responsibilities that come with being a citizen here in America, about the importance of diversity, and the real story behind immigration beyond SB1070 and the media hype is something truly worthwhile.