The federal government is now processing citizenship requests at its fastest rate in 10 years, claiming it is meant "to address the significant backlog" that first built up during the administration of former President Donald Trump during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
According to the New York Times, nearly 3.3 million immigrants have become citizens of the United States since President Joe Biden took office in 2021.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services only took under five months on average to process naturalization applications during the first nine months of the current fiscal year. This rapid pace is comparable to the processing speeds of 2013 and 2014, compared with the 11-and-a-half-month average in fiscal year 2021. (Related: Biden administration speeding up citizenship request processing to bolster Democratic voter base ahead of election.)
Several key measures contributed to this accelerated pace of naturalization. First, Biden signed three executive orders to reverse restrictive immigration policies passed during the Trump administration and called for substantial reductions in naturalization processing times in 2021. One of the orders signed ends the controversial 2018 "zero tolerance" policy, which mandated the prosecution of all illegal border crossings. Additionally, Biden initiated efforts to reunite parents with children who were detained at the border under this policy.
Another executive order calls for a comprehensive review of Trump-era immigration policies, with a particular focus on the "public charge rule," which limited immigrant access to green cards based on their use of public assistance programs.
Second, the administration has implemented new technology and increased staffing to address the backlog of citizenship applications, which had swelled due to heightened scrutiny under the Trump administration and delays caused by the pandemic. The naturalization application itself was also shortened from 20 pages to 14. The administration raised the application fee from $640 to $710 in April but made it easier for low-income earners to qualify for a discount.
Analysts warn surge in naturalization meant to benefit Democrats in elections
Lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders, can become naturalized citizens after holding that status for at least five years or three years if married to a U.S. citizen.
Green card holders share many rights with U.S. citizens, but only citizens can vote in federal elections. Green card holders are allowed to pursue U.S. citizenship, which would allow them to vote. Additionally, U.S. citizenship offers benefits and protections, such as immunity from deportation. Green card holders can still be deported if convicted of crimes.
In line with this, Xiao Wang, the CEO of Boundless, a company that analyzes immigration trends using government data, noted the potential political implications of this trend as the 2024 presidential election nears.
"The surge in naturalization efficiency isn't just about clearing backlogs; it's potentially reshaping the electorate, merely months before a pivotal election. Every citizenship application could be a vote that decides Senate seats or even the presidency," Wang said.
Approximately nine million green card holders are currently eligible for U.S. citizenship. The four states with the largest numbers of immigrants who qualify for citizenship are California, New York, Texas and Florida. The top countries of origin for these new citizens are Mexico, India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.
And now that there are only two months left before the presidential election, the surge in naturalization has sparked discussions about its potential impact on the electorate not just in the four aforementioned states but especially in battleground or swing states, such as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Watch this clip of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sounding the alarm on illegals voting in the November elections.
This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.
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