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Immigration chief: Not politicizing job


Published: March 28, 2008 at 7:38 PM
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WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- The outgoing head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says he is standing firm against pressure to process a lot of new voters for the 2008 elections.

"I can't allow citizenship to be politicized," Emilio Gonzales, whose resignation takes effect April 18 after more than two years as director, told The Washington Times.

He said some members of Congress, immigration advocacy groups and others have accused him of dragging his feet in processing hundreds of thousands of citizenship applications filed last year,

He said his critics were "looking for the external quick-fixes" and he refused to cut corners to add a bunch of new citizens to help someone's political campaign,

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PALESTINIAN COMMEMORATE CATASTROPHE DAY
A Palestinian refugee Mohamad Harb 85 year Old . shows his old house keys from his former village as a symbol of hope that his may return his one day on May 12, 2008 in his Rafah refugee camp which is located within the Gaza Strip. Harb used to live in the village of Hmamh before his family was forced to immigrate to the Gaza Strip in 1948. After sixty years Harb has hope of returning to his old village which is now in Israeli territory and is named Kreat Hmamh. Traditionally Palestinians commemorate May 15th as Nakba Day or Catastrophe Day, the day the Israeli State was created in 1948.(UPI Photo/Ismael Mohamad)
Traditionally Palestinians commemorate May 15th as Catastrophe Day
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