Posted on 01/31/2008 10:33:20 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
Federal logjam of red tape may shut them out of the 2008 election
For the 25 Hispanic immigrants taking a citizenship class Tuesday evening in downtown Houston, voting is a fundamental right they hope to gain.
The students, attending the nonprofit Houston International University inside a shopping center, answered enthusiastically as their instructor quizzed them on American history and civics topics they must know to pass a citizenship test.
They are part of an unprecedented nationwide surge of 1.4 million legal immigrants who applied for U.S. citizenship in the 2007 fiscal year. But now many of those immigrants fear a bureaucratic backlog may prevent them from becoming citizens in time to vote in this year's presidential elections.
''Maybe if I pass the exam and become a citizen, I can vote," said Antonia Landeros, a 38-year-old Mexican immigrant who works for a Houston janitorial firm. ''But I don't know because I haven't received a date for my interview."
Landeros, who married a U.S. citizen after coming to Houston 15 years ago, longs to vote — to voice her support for a presidential candidate who appreciates immigrants. She and others in the class say the November election will be crucial in changing immigration policy.
The processing of citizenship applications has been slowed by a bottleneck at immigration field offices across the country. Nearly 1.1 million are pending, largely a result of last summer's rush of applicants before steep increases in application fees took effect July 30.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials estimate the processing time for naturalization applications filed after June will be about 18 months — more than twice the average wait of previous years.
Big increase locally
In Houston, the number of applications pending as of December is 27,910 — an increase of nearly 120 percent compared to December 2006. Other Texas cities registered dramatic jumps, including a 271 percent increase in El Paso.
''What we have to do now is deal with the sheer numbers with the limited capacity we have to work those cases," said Chris Bentley, a spokesman for USCIS.
To address the huge backlog, the agency — drawing on an anticipated $930 million in higher fees paid by immigrants — began in late October to recruit 1,500 new employees. So far, 580 have been hired, according to congressional testimony earlier this month by USCIS director Emilio Gonzalez. The agency expects to return to a six-month processing time in late 2010.
Bentley said the backlog means there's "a very real possibility" applications won't be processed in time for many immigrants to vote in November.
The backlog has outraged community groups who assisted immigrants in Houston to sign up for citizenship in record numbers last year.
''People want to vote, that's one of the major reasons they filled out their applications last year," said Ginny Goldman, the statewide coordinator for the nonprofit ACORN community group. ''It's become a voting rights issue. Justice delayed is justice denied."
On Monday, ACORN lead organizer Alain Cisneros traveled to Dallas with two vanloads of Houston immigrants to protest the delays at USCIS offices.
''They told everyone, 'Apply! Apply!,' so they applied. And so here we are a year later, and now they're saying, ''There were too many.' It's ridiculous," Cisneros said.
One of the protesters making the trip to Dallas was Rosa Chavez, a 53-year-old Guatemala native who has lived in Texas for 27 years. She started out harvesting onions, chiles, cotton and watermelons in the Rio Grande Valley, and now works as a housekeeper in a Houston hospital.
''I wanted to vote, but now, I don't know if I'll be able to, because it's taken awhile," said Chavez, who said her final interview with immigration officials has been postponed. ''It's because by voting, we'll have power and liberty and a voice so that people will listen to us."
Alma Monsivais, the instructor at Houston International University, said her students applied for citizenship for various reasons. Some want to sponsor relatives who are not here legally. Others want to thwart deportation. And many realize citizenship, and literacy, can lead to a better job.
''And they want to vote, so they can choose who is going to represent them," Monsivais said.
Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Paul Bettencourt said Oct. 6 is the voter registration deadline for the November election.
He predicted the current 1.8 million voters registered in the county will grow to more than 2 million by November.
'Growing impatient'
This month, USCIS held two naturalization events in Houston where 3,742 citizens registered to vote, and another 13 ceremonies are scheduled through September, Bettencourt said.
According to USCIS figures, the number of immigrants who became U.S. citizens in Houston rose from 14,420 in fiscal 2006 to 18,937 in fiscal 2007, which ended last September.
Still, advocates say they want the process quickened for immigrants who are growing impatient.
''We don't want promises, we want action," said Cisneros, the ACORN official in Houston. ''Time is passing, and they don't see the light at the end of the tunnel."
james.pinkerton@chron.com
Doesn’t sound like their wait is much longer than that of an American citizen applying for a passport.
Oh gee. The first thing they want to do is VOTE??
fIRE UP THE IMMIGRUNT BUS. They are coming to vote.
(better print up the ballots so they can read them)
Better yet. Make them sit this election out since they certainly can’t understand the importance of being an informed voter when newbies to everything American.
I applied for U.S. citizenship July 24, 2007 in NH and was sworn in as a new citizen on Dec. 14, 2007 ! The process (through the Manchester NH Immigration office) went much more quickly and efficiently than I ever anticipated. Therefore, I was able to VOTE, for the first time ever, in the Jan.8, 2008 NH Primary !
Since when do you need citizenship to vote? Ask Bob Dornan how he lost to Loretta Sanchez in Orange County, California!
I bet I know who they’re voting for.
Part of the naturalization process is verifying that legal immigrants did not lie on their initial applications for green cards. What these guys want to do is bypass the controls and legalize fraudulent green card holders.
Thanks to the current bias for family reunification, the bulk of our future immigrants will come from Latin America. This is a preposterous policy that McCain’s amnesty bill will extend yet further.
This article is hogwash. They need to do what any good DemocRAT would do. Just show up at any polling place and vote as often as you like! It’s not rocket science.
Mexico has already said they are welcome to still vote in Mexico’s elections.
So much for a loyalty oath.
Houston PING
They know what party they are voting for even if they don’t know who the candidate will be.
Exactly
“And many realize citizenship, and literacy, can lead to a better job.”
That’s not why they are here (for better jobs). Americans have been sold a lie that we “need” them here to do the jobs that no one else wants to do.
When they move BEYOND those jobs they are doing jobs that other people DO want to do.
She's been here for 27 years, but it's the government's fault that she might miss the election? Kudos to her for being here legally and applying for citizenship, but a good American citizen takes responsibility for their own actions.
Landeros, who married a U.S. citizen after coming to Houston 15 years ago, longs to vote — to voice her support for a presidential candidate who appreciates immigrants
Looks like they will be voting for Mclame
My wife, a citizen, applied for immigrant visas for her brother and sister in 2000. The petition was approved in 2005. With the rate of available visa numbers, we’re still expecting it will take another 2-3 years. Excuse me if I don’t have much sympathy for anyone who came here illegally, or got through the process quickly. (It is true that higher-priority categories for more immediate relatives are quicker.)
ping
but if they had any appreciation at all for America, its probably best if they dont vote in this election. Im a natural born citizen, and I right now trying to figure out how to justify this election to my grandchildren...if we all live long enough to have them....
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