The Miami Herald - 02/02/2006 - Immigrants in South Florida have a chance today to tell the government what they think of the U.S. Office of Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Prakash I. Khatri, the ombudsman for the citizenship agency, will be at a community forum tonight at the Stephen P. Clark Government Center, 111 N.W. 1st St. in Miami. The forum runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Board of County Commissioners chambers.

The agency oversees immigrant visas, employment petitions, citizenship naturalization, asylum and refugee processing and humanitarian and temporary protective status programs.

Khatri reports directly to the U.S. deputy secretary for Homeland Security and to Congress. He is responsible for working with individuals and employers to resolve problems with USCIS. The office of the ombudsman operates independently. Tonight's event is sponsored by the Miami-Dade County Community Relations Board.