Settlement allows thousands of immigrants to apply for citizenship

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/uniontrib/sun/news/news_1n25immig.html

SACRAMENTO – Thousands of undocumented immigrants, turned away when they applied for green cards under a 1986 amnesty program, won new rights to apply for U.S. citizenship under a federal court settlement that ends 17 years of legal battles.

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The suit challenged federal rules that disqualified amnesty-seeking immigrants who had traveled outside the United States between 1982 and May 4, 1988. Though the amnesty program for 3 million illegal immigrants allowed "brief, casual and innocent" absences, the Immigration and Naturalization Service disqualified all applicants who had been out of the country without its prior approval.

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Under the agreement, U.S. officials are obligated to process the previously denied applications quickly.