Processing time for applications for naturalization in the United States has tripled

US authorities do not have time to process applications for citizenship. Hundreds of thousands of questionnaires have accumulated in various structures and departments. And the procedure itself, which previously lasted from five to seven months, is now delayed by 20 months.

Фото: Depositphotos

Currently, 730 is waiting for thousands of people to process their applications. This is 87 percent more than in 2015-th year, according to the National Association of New Americans, an alliance of human rights groups that deals with legal assistance to immigrants, writes Rtvi.

As stated by the director of the organization, the delays in processing documents Trump's administration actually built a second wall that prevents legal immigrants from becoming citizens of the United States and taking part in elections. During the past year, 925 thousands of legal US permanent residents applied for citizenship. Most of the new profiles come from the cities and states where the largest number of people from Mexico and Latin America live - Texas, California and Arizona. Citizenship, in addition to the right to vote, allows new Americans to legally bring into the country and their family members who remained at home.

However, in an interview with RTVI, a representative of the US Immigration Service said that the data on the number of questionnaires and delays provided by the New American National Association do not reflect the reality:

“From year to year the number of people receiving citizenship remains unchanged. In recent years, the number of applications filed has increased dramatically, but the naturalization process still goes from 700 to 750 thousand people annually. The terms naturally vary from year to year. We expect that the number will not change compared with last year. In 2017, thousands of people received citizenship of 716. There is no data for the current year. ”

On the eve of the Independence Day of the United States, the solemn event - the naturalization ceremony for new US citizens - was traditionally held in the New York Public Library.

US citizen Fidel: “My wife came here in December 2003 of the year. And the naturalization process took 15 years! There were many difficulties, a lot of effort was spent. At first, documents were collected, lawyers were searched, crazy money was paid to them, again documents, new lawyers. Endless, it seemed to us a process. Then I had to go to the doctors, get medical certificates, go through the vaccination procedure, in general, there are some obstacles everywhere, paperwork and bureaucracy, which, of course, is necessary - this is part of the process of obtaining US citizenship. ”

3 July 2018, a court in New York began a lawsuit against the Trump administration in a case of adding a citizenship clause to the census questionnaire.

The Census Bureau conducts research every 10 years, the next census is scheduled for 2020 year. The issue of citizenship status was added to the questionnaires at the request of the US Department of Justice. The Prosecutor General’s Office considers it necessary to obtain information and ensure compliance with the law. The decision drew criticism from human rights advocates, who believe that the issue of citizenship status could alienate US citizens from participating in the census because of concerns about how the government might use the information received. This can lead to an underestimate of the population of the United States.

The census results help determine the number of seats in the House of Representatives from each state, as well as affect the allocation of federal funds for various programs.

Read also on ForumDaily:

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Who can not pay a fee when applying for naturalization

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