As Fed Jobs Abound in Dallas, a Congressman Pushes for Naturalization
U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, discusses the importance of naturalization at a Dallas media roundtable for the New Americans Campaign. Photo by Min Lee / New America Media
DALLAS — U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas, is calling for more legal permanent residents in his state to take the step to become American citizens.
Not only will they will have the right to vote, petition their family members, and get government protections when they travel abroad; they will also be eligible to apply for high-paying federal jobs, which are now booming in Texas.
"There are more than 100,000 defense jobs that offer six-figure salaries in Texas. We need newly naturalized citizens to fill these jobs," Veasey told a group of reporters Tuesday at a roundtable organized by New America Media in collaboration with the New Americans Campaign, a national effort to make citizenship more accessible.
In recent years, business analysts say, Dallas/Fort Worth — dubbed the Silicon Prairie — has been listed among the top 10 U.S. cities for defense jobs and IT positions for security-cleared professionals. Much of this employment requires skilled professionals who speak languages other than English.
And because they are federal jobs, only U.S. citizens can apply.
Now, with immigration reform stalled in Congress, Veasey added, the only way "to have a profound impact on policy" is for legal permanent residents to naturalize and elect the leaders who represent their communities.
"If you are a U.S. citizen," he said, "you can make your governor or mayor listen to your needs."