Record number apply to become U.S. citizens
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Last updated: Wednesday August 6, 2008, EDT 6:55 PM
BY ELIZABETH LLORENTESTAFF WRITER

The immigration service completed nearly 7,800 naturalization applications in May in New Jersey, the highest number in the state’s history, a senior service official said today.

The number is more than double that of May 2007, when the Newark district and a smaller, satellite office in South Jersey completed work on slightly more than 3,200, according to immigration data. New Jersey immigration officials say they expect to complete nearly 46,000 naturalizations by fall, the end of fiscal year 2008 – a historic peak.

“I think this is a record for this particular district,â€