Kerrie Orozco First Responders Family Support Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. RUTHERFORD. 6580, currently under consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6580, the Kerrie Orozco First Responders Family Support Act. This legislation is short, but it will have an immense impact on the lives of close family members of certain first responders who die as a result of injury and illness occurring in the line of duty.
The Immigration and Nationality Act currently requires that, in order to naturalize and become a United States citizen, a lawful permanent resident must reside continuously in the United States for 5 years prior to naturalization. For spouses, that residency requirement is 3 years. H.R. 6580 waives that residency requirement altogether for the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a Federal, State, or local first responder who dies as a result of injury or illness incurred during line of duty activities as a first responder.
There is precedent in immigration law for such a waiver. In fact, the language of H.R. 6580 is patterned on the current law, which waives the same residency requirements for the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a military servicemember killed while in Active-Duty service in the Armed Forces.
First responders routinely place their lives in peril to help those of us who are in need, and when they are killed or injured carrying out their duties, we owe their families a deep debt of gratitude. H.R. 6580 is a small price to pay in return for the sacrifice that first responders make every day.
The legislation was named after Kerrie Orozco, an Omaha, Nebraska, police officer, killed while serving an arrest warrant on May 20, 2015. At the time of Officer Orozco's death, her husband was in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. H.R. 6580 will speed up that process and make sure other surviving immediate relatives in the same situation are afforded the same opportunity.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work of the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Bacon) on this important piece of legislation.
I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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