Disabled Immigrants Can Be Citizens

By CHELSEA J. CARTER
.c The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - 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.''

The bill is S.2812.

On the Net: Bill texts are available: http://thomas.loc.gov

AP-NY-11-09-00 0145EST

Copyright 2000 The Associated Press.