Fair helps 140 beat immigration fee jump

Trying to beat next month's increase in immigration fees, nearly 140 permanent residents in El Paso lined up to apply for naturalized citizenship Saturday at a fair sponsored by a grass-roots political organization, which wants to improve the political clout of immigrants.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, had the fair at the Plaza Del Sol shopping center at 5630 Gateway East.

Volunteers provided free counseling to permanent residents seeking naturalized citizenship.  In May, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials announced a new fee schedule that, among other changes, will increase the fee for filing for citizenship from $400 to $675.

Under the new schedule, application and petition fees will increase an average of 66 percent. Permanent residents seeking citizenship have until July 30 to apply before the application fee increases.