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Monday 29 october 2018
Wait times for citizenship applications stretch to 2 years

By AMY TAXIN, Associated aspiring to become U.S. civics tests. Citizenship ap-
Press citizens surged during 2016, plications typically rise be-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More jumping 27 percent from a fore an increase in filing
than 700,000 immigrants year earlier as Trump made fees and during presiden-
are waiting on applications cracking down on immi- tial election years as immi-
to become U.S. citizens, a gration a central theme of grants get excited about
process that once typically his presidential campaign. the prospect of voting and
took about six months but At first, the federal govern- advocacy groups conduct
has stretched to more than ment kept up with the ap- widespread outreach to try
two years in some places plications, but then the wait to get more eligible voters
under the administration of grew. Backlogs are nothing to the polls.
President Donald Trump. new in the U.S. immigration Enrique Robles, 32, said
The long wait times have system. It often takes years he applied to naturalize
prompted some immigrant to receive asylum or to be as soon as he was eligible
advocates to ask whether deported. But naturaliza- after living in the U.S. most
the delays are aimed at tion — the final step to be- of his life. When he didn’t
keeping anti-Trump voters come an American citizen, hear about the status of his
from casting ballots in elec- In this Sept. 18, 2018 photo Sameeha Alkamalee Jabbar, cen- obtain a U.S. passport and application, Robles, who
tions. ter, from Orange County sits during a naturalization ceremony in receive voting rights — had is originally from Mexico,
“People are motivated to Los Angeles. Alkamalee Jabbar who is originally from Sri Lanka, not been subject to such started to worry.
said the process took ten months and at times she worried but
participate, and they’re knew about the backlog. More than 700,000 immigrants are delays in recent years. More than a year later, he
being frustrated from being waiting on their applications to become U.S. citizens, a process Now the average wait time said, he was called to an
able to participate in the that in many parts of the country now takes a year or more. for officials to decide on interview where an immi-
elections they’re excited Associated Press. applications is more than gration officer questioned
about,” said Manuel Pas- sity of Southern California’s migrant Integration. 10 months. It takes up to 22 whether he should have
tor, director of the Univer- Center for the Study of Im- The number of immigrants months in Atlanta and as been issued a green card
long as 26 months in parts in the first place, a con-
of Texas, according to offi- cern he was able to quickly
cial estimates. dispel by explaining that
Trump tweeted on Thurs- his father had legitimately
day that Central American sponsored him.
migrants headed north in a “With this administration,
U.S.-bound caravan should it feels like more they are
return home and can ap- looking for possibilities to
ply for American citizen- kick people out,” said Ro-
ship if they wish. “Go back bles, who took his citizen-
to your Country and if you ship oath in September.
want, apply for citizenship Keeping potential citizens
like millions of others are from voting could have
doing!” he posted as thou- an effect, but it could
sands continued their trek also drive their relatives
through Mexico. and friends to the polls
But immigrants generally in greater numbers. “The
must be legal permanent naturalization delays have
residents of the United a huge cost in stopping
States to apply for citizen- some people” from vot-
ship and getting a green ing, but they “have a huge
card can take years — if impact in motivating oth-
a person even qualifies for ers,” said Jeremy Robbins,
one. U.S. Citizenship and executive director of New
Immigration Services said American Economy, a bi-
the longer waits to natu- partisan group in support of
ralize are because of the immigration. Competitive
surge in applications, not districts that have a large
slower processing. The number of foreign-born
agency decided 850,000 residents are likely to be
cases in 2017, up 8 percent among those where natu-
from a year before. ralization delays could mat-
Despite “a record and un- ter most. Those include dis-
precedented” spike in ap- tricts in California’s Orange
plications, the agency is County and in Texas and
operating more efficiently New Jersey, Robbins said.
and effectively and “out- At a recent naturalization
performing itself,” spokes- ceremony in Los Ange-
man Michael Bars said in a les, some new citizens said
statement. the process seemed long
To become an American to them, while others said
citizen, immigrants must it flew by in a matter of
hold green cards for at months. Key for many was
least three years, demon- being able to travel with an
strate good moral charac- American passport and be-
ter and pass English and ing able to vote.q