Report to USCCR on Citizenship Delays, In Anticipation of Citizenship Day

The Colorado Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released its report, Citizenship Delayed: Civil Rights and Voting Rights Implications of the Backlog in Citizenship and Naturalization Applications. The Committee examined the civil rights implications of the backlog in citizenship and naturalization applications in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The report is available on the USCCR website.

The report found that increased wait times are contributing to a backlog of more than 700,000 naturalization applications and wait times of 10-18 months. This is a doubling from 2016 to 2019 and a violation of statutory requirements that applications be processed within 6 months. This delay impacts applicants’ civil rights, including an applicants’ ability to fully participate in the 2020 election in many parts of the country. 

Key recommendations from the Committee include:
• USCIS officers should review the operational efficiency of naturalization
adjudications and ensure that adjudication processing times are consistent with
the statutory and regulatory guidelines of six months.
• Congress should hold hearings and increase USCIS accountability to statutory
mission and timelines.
• Congress should appropriate funding to USCIS to eliminate the backlog.
• States, local governments, and non-profits should participate in supporting
naturalization.

Committee Chair Alvina Earnhart said: “During our study, it became evident that the processing time for citizenship applications has surged considerably. Despite past efforts to resolve the backlog, more needs to be done. This report provides insights for potential solutions, and we hope that it will spur Congress to act to eliminate the backlog. Special thanks to Committee member Ming H. Chen for her leadership and dedication to the
project.”

Citizenship Delayed, based on expert input and extensive research and analysis, offers actionable recommendations to Congress; federal, state, and local agencies; and advocacy groups. The Committee held a public briefing on the subject in February 2019 at the University of Colorado Law School, hearing from government officials, academics, legal experts, and members of the public. View video and the transcript of the briefing.

UPDATED 9/17/2019: Colorado Politics, Colorado Public Radio, Daily Camera, Colorado Independent, Denver Post coverage of report.