Senator Feinstein Introduces Bill to Enable Legal
Immigrants to Remain as Airport Screeners
December 13, 2001

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today introduced legislation to speed the naturalization process and authorize transitional employment for the many deserving airport security screeners who are in danger of losing their jobs as a result of a provision in the recently enacted aviation security legislation.

The Aviation Transportation Security Act, signed into law on November 19, 2001, required that all airport security screeners to be United States citizens. The Feinstein legislation would amend this law to permit lawful permanent residents who are eligible to become U.S. citizens within one year to remain as airport screeners. It is estimated that at least 25 percent of the current 28,000 airport security screeners in the nation's 419 commercial airports are non-citizens.

"Without a doubt, the recently approved airport security legislation was a long overdue step to protect our nation," Senator Feinstein said. "However, I believe it is a mistake to punish the thousands of legal immigrants in the process who now work as airport screeners and are playing by the rules to become citizens.

"This new measure will provide an adequate transition for the many well-qualified, loyal, and hard-working lawful permanent residents that are on the verge of attaining citizenship but who will not be able to complete that process before they lose their jobs."

According to San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown and the Director of the San Francisco International Airport, the airport stands to lose up to 80 percent of its screening personnel due to the Aviation and Transportation Security Act. In Los Angeles, roughly 40 percent of the baggage screeners are non citizens.

"I do not believe that all non-citizens can or should be able to meet the stringent requirements of the airport security legislation," Senator Feinstein said. "But to the extent that those who are well-qualified and near citizenship can continue their employment while their naturalization applications are being adjudicated, it will be a great help to the many airports in which they are employed."

The Expedited Naturalization and Continued Employment
for Airport Security Screeners Act of 2001

Summary

The following summary details how the naturalization process would work under the proposed legislation.

1. The Undersecretary of Transportation for Security identifies the current airport security screeners the agency wants to retain.

2. The Undersecretary of Transportation for Security certifies that:

a. the agency wants to hire or continue the employment of the alien;

b. except for U.S. citizenship, the aliens are qualified to be retained as airport security screeners.

3. Upon receiving the Undersecretary of Transportation's certification, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service must verify that:

a. the alien's naturalization application is pending before the agency; or

b. the alien is a lawful permanent resident who will be eligible to become a U.S. citizen within one year.

3. If all of these conditions listed above are met, then:

a. the alien will continue to be employed as an airport security screener; and

b. the INS will be required to expedite the process of adjudicating the alien's naturalization application within 30 days for those waiting to take the oath of allegiance and within 6 months for those in the initial stages of the application process.

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