Thread: FRESNO-Push to become citizens of U.S. grows

In their push to do it quick....are they doing it RIGHT?

Push to become citizens of U.S. grows
Immigrants are taking looming fee increases, presidential election into consideration.
By Vanessa Colón / The Fresno Bee
07/05/07 04:23:57



Valley immigrants are surging to sign up for citizenship as a naturalization fee increase -- and a presidential election -- approaches.

Fresno's immigration office, like many across the country, has been overwhelmed since the start of the year. But the last two weeks have been especially busy. Since they were unable to schedule a mass swearing-in ceremony this month, Valley immigration officials have held almost daily ceremonies to accommodate the rush.

The next big ceremony, scheduled Aug. 6 at the Fresno Convention Center, already is booked. About 1,200 people are expected to become U.S. citizens.

"We are trying to naturalize them on the same day if they qualify," said Don Riding, director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office in Fresno.

In October, 663 applied to become citizens. By May, the monthly total had reached 2,000, Riding said.

On July 30, fees for citizenship applications and fingerprinting will increase from $400 to $675. Other immigration fees also are increasing sharply. Legal residents also must pass a civics test and background checks before they can become citizens.

On Tuesday, about a dozen residents became citizens at Fresno's immigration office. Naturalization ceremonies are scheduled this week across the nation and abroad to commemorate America's birthday on July 4.

The swearing-in ceremony in Fresno was done in less than 10 minutes. The new citizens came from such places as Canada, the United Kingdom and the Philippines.

The small-scale celebration didn't bother Crescencia Compay Kennedy, who is from the Philippines. Kennedy of Modesto said the higher fees were a secondary concern in her decision to become a U.S. citizen now.

"I want to be an American citizen because my husband is an American citizen and for the benefits" such as voting, Kennedy said in Tagalog through an interpreter. She has lived in the United States since 2001.

Don King, who is from Canada, became a U.S. citizen Tuesday because he travels a lot. Legal residents can lose their green cards if they are out of the country for more than six months, according to immigration officials. King has lived in the United States since the 1980s.

"I didn't want to stay out too long ... [and] lose my ability to live in the United States. ... It had nothing to do with the [new] fees," said King, 59, of Fresno.

Sharon Rummery, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in San Francisco, said there are various reasons for the spike in citizenship applications this year.

"There's the upcoming election, the fee increase. We are redesigning our [citizenship] test and they don't know what to expect. People want to vote and people want to get a passport to travel," Rummery said.

Another reason: Many agricultural workers, under a seasonal worker program, obtained permanent legal status in 1991. By 2006, many of them then became eligible to take the citizenship test in their native language because they were 55 years or older and had been permanent legal residents for 15 years, Riding said.

Although immigration officials are trying to speed up the application process for those who want to become citizens, delays persist.

Sometimes applications are delayed pending background checks by the FBI. Criminal background checks are made on each applicant.

"In 80% of the cases the name clears within two to three weeks. ... Fewer than 1% don't clear within six months," Rummery said.

But Camille Cook, an immigration attorney, said she has clients waiting three or four years to get clearance for citizenship.

"Most people are still being interviewed fairly quickly and being sworn in fairly quickly. There's a certain number of cases being held up because of security checks," Cook said.

She said some pending cases involve clients from Pakistan, the Middle East or countries known to have ties to terrorism. But other clients are waiting who come from other countries, such as Mexico.

Eligible permanent legal residents can qualify for citizenship under the existing fees so long as their naturalization applications are postmarked before July 30, Rummery said.

With the crush of citizenship applications now coming in, immigration officials are trying to swear in people as quickly as they can, sometimes as soon as they qualify, Riding said.

"We'll probably do the same in August, the way things are going," Riding said.
The reporter can be reached at vcolon@fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6313.


http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/77669.html

A lot of these people are becoming American citizens for the wrong reasons. Most just want to make a buck and not be hassled by ICE. Others want to be able to vote so as to support amnesty for their friends. Very few want to become Americans like the immigrants of the early 20th Century.

Originally Posted by pjr40

A lot of these people are becoming American citizens for the wrong reasons. Most just want to make a buck and not be hassled by ICE. Others want to be able to vote so as to support amnesty for their friends. Very few want to become Americans like the immigrants of the early 20th Century.

If they take the oath of allegiance to the USA and become party to sedition (ie reconquista or anti-American groups) isn't that a criminal offense?