The Congress has the authority to legislate changes to address the issue, and USCIS, as part of the executive branch, would be responsible for implementing these changes in their processes for assessing naturalization eligibility.
A) Executive Branch Authority Exercised by USCIS:
The USCIS exercises executive branch authority in the determination of a person's qualification for citizenship through naturalization. The executive branch, headed by the President, is responsible for enforcing and implementing laws. USCIS, as part of the Department of Homeland Security, is tasked with administering the immigration system and ensuring that individuals seeking citizenship meet the established criteria.
In this scenario, USCIS has the authority to assess an applicant's good moral character, a key requirement for naturalization. This includes evaluating whether the applicant has complied with U.S. laws and refrained from attempting to exercise rights reserved exclusively for U.S. citizens, such as the right to vote. USCIS's role involves interpreting and applying immigration laws, conducting background checks, and making determinations regarding an applicant's eligibility for naturalization based on established criteria.
B) Action Congress Could Take:
To address the issue of accidental voter registrations by non-citizens, Congress could consider amending the National Voter Registration Act to include additional safeguards. Specifically, Congress could introduce legislation requiring states to implement more robust verification processes to prevent non-citizens from unintentionally registering to vote when obtaining or renewing a driver's license or state ID card.
This could involve enhancing the systems in place to identify and differentiate between citizens and non-citizens during the driver's license or state ID application and renewal process. Congress could also establish clearer guidelines for states to follow in ensuring that only eligible U.S. citizens are registered to vote.
C) Effect on Interaction Between Branches and Bureaucracy:
The action described in part B would impact the interaction between Congress (legislative branch) and the bureaucracy (executive branch, specifically USCIS). Congress, through legislation, would set new requirements and standards for voter registration processes to prevent accidental registrations by non-citizens.
This would necessitate USCIS to adapt its policies and procedures in alignment with the new legislative requirements. The bureaucracy would need to implement these changes, potentially revising forms, instructions, and verification processes to comply with the updated law. The interaction between Congress and the bureaucracy involves the legislative branch setting the framework, and the executive branch implementing and enforcing it through agencies like USCIS.
question:
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is a government agency that administers the immigration system, overseeing lawful immigration and the naturalization process. A requirement for people seeking citizenship through naturalization is demonstrating good moral character in the years prior to application. Good moral character includes obeying laws as well as not attempting to exercise the rights or privileges reserved solely to U.S. citizens. An example is the right to vote in U.S. elections. In 1993, Congress passed the National Voter Registration Act to increase registrations of eligible voters. The act requires that the states provide people who are getting a driver’s license or state ID card the option to register to vote at the same time. Since that time, some non-citizens have accidentally registered to vote when obtaining or renewing a driver’s license and were later penalized for it when seeking citizenship. In 2021, the USCIS updated its policies to prevent this penalty in cases where the naturalization candidate had truly not intended to register to vote.
A) Referring to the scenario, describe the executive branch authority exercised by the USCIS in determining a person’s qualification for citizenship through naturalization.
B) Describe an action Congress could take to address the issue of accidental voter registrations by non-citizens.
C) Explain how the action described in part B would affect the interaction between a branch of the federal government and the bureaucracy.