Immigrants are Becoming US Citizens at Fastest Clip in Years

The NY Times reports that immigrants are becoming US citizens at fastest clip in years. Government data shows average wait times under five months, which is on a par with 2013 and 2014 and half the time taken in fiscal 2021. In total, 3.3 million immigrants have become citizens in the current administration.

As the article explains, the increased numbers and heightened pace results from a concerted push in the USCIS. In particular, policies to promote naturalization included:

• An executive order that called for action to “substantially reduce current naturalization processing times” with the goal of strengthening integration of new Americans
• New technology and additional staff in 2022 to reduce the pending caseload of citizenship applications, which had ballooned because of heightened scrutiny by the Trump administration and protracted pandemic-related delays in conducting the swearing-in ceremonies.
• Streamlined naturalization forms, with shorter naturalization applications (14 pages, down from 20) and easier waivers for low-income people to qualify for a discount on the fees ($710, up from $640 to compensate for fiscal impacts of the improvements).

While the electoral consequences of the enlarged voter-eligible population is unclear — many live in “safe” districts, not all immigrants vote the same way — it is noteworthy as a signal of rising civic engagement and could transform policy to be more responsive to the will of the people. 

MHC