Citizenship Chance For Disabled Aliens
Immigrants who have disabilities that limit their ability to take the oath of allegiance can still be granted citizenship under new legislation.
About 1,000 immigrants yearly qualify to become citizens but have disabilities that prevent them from reciting the oath of allegiance.
The legislation, approved last month by Congress and signed Monday by President Clinton, was spurred by cases such as that of 25-year-old Vijai Rajan of Anaheim, Calif., whose parents sued the Immigration and Naturalization Service alleging discrimination after her citizenship application was denied.
Rajan, who was born in India and whose parents are naturalized citizens, is unable to understand or recite the oath because she has cerebral palsy, Crohn's disease and other ailments.
"Maybe this is God's way of equalizing things. She depends on us for everything and she has managed to make her life have more meaning with this law than mine ever will," said Sunder Rajan, who with his wife, Shakunthala, sought citizenship for their daughter.
The law, which went into effect after Clinton signed it, does not grant instant citizenship to disabled immigrants. It allows the attorney general to grant a waiver for "an individual with a disability, or a child, who is unable to understand or communicate an understanding of the meaning of the oath."
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