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Backlog Of Naturalization Applications Continues To Delay Citizenship

By Robert Kraft

This has become an old story by now, but as we get nearer to the November election (will it ever get here?) the story is taking on more urgency. USCIS is not able to process citizenship applications quickly enough, and as a result there is a very good chance that thousands of would-be U.S. citizens will not be able to vote for their next president.

An unprecedented surge in U.S. citizenship applications has applicants waiting more than twice as long as normal for approval. According to the USCIS, the Dallas office was working in mid-June on naturalization petitions filed 11 months earlier. Other offices take as long as 14 months.

Conspiracy theorists say that the current Republican administration is deliberately delaying citizenship for immigrants they fear will vote Democratic in the next election. It's possible there's some truth to that, but I think the larger problem is that USCIS simply doesn't have the resources to handle this flood of applications.

Still, it's going to be a shame if we have to tell these law-abiding people trying to do the right thing and participate in their chosen country's political process that government red tape will prevent them from voting.

Full post as published by Immigration Law Answers Blog on July 08, 2008 (boomark / email).