Why Haven’t 8 Million Eligible Immigrants Become U.S. Citizens?
8 million immigrants across the country are eligible for U.S. citizenship but have not yet applied. A disproportionate number live in New York City.
8 million immigrants across the country are eligible for U.S. citizenship but have not yet applied. A disproportionate number live in New York City.
On this Fi2W Podcast, experts discuss how growing numbers of immigrants say being able to work legally in the U.S. is enough.
The Office of Immigration Statistics reports that last year 694,193 individuals became citizens. While that might seem like an impressive number, 8.1 million legal permanent residents were eligible to naturalize in 2010. Why didn’t more immigrants naturalize? Why do so many choose not to become U.S. citizens?
Retired Supreme Court Justice David Souter called on immigrants who studied the U.S. Constitution for their citizenship exam for to set an example for native-born Americans who are ignorant of the Constitution and the values it represents.
New York’s office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says it is actively working with immigrant groups to expedite the citizenship process and calm fears about immigration enforcement.