Working Overtime To Make New Americans

Immigration Officials Rush To Process Backload Of Applications Before November Elections

(AP)  The Bush administration has begun holding weekend and after-hours interviews for immigrants wanting to be Americans, responding to a heavy workload caused by last summer's flood of citizenship applications.

Citizenship and Immigration Services, a Homeland Security Department agency, has begun holding the interviews - the final step before taking the citizenship oath - on Saturdays and Sundays and after business hours on weekdays. In the interviews, done by appointment only, immigrants take their citizenship test and answer any lingering questions about their applications.

The weekend interviews are so extraordinary that the agency posted a notice on its Web site to reassure applicants a Saturday or Sunday appointment is not a mistake.

The agency received 1.4 million naturalization applications in the 2007 fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, overwhelming agency workers and extending the time it takes to become a citizen.

Nearly half a million applications arrived just before the fee to apply to be an American increased from $330 to $595, plus an $80 fingerprinting fee.

The agency has been criticized for precipitating the flood of applications with the fee increase and then failing to be fully prepared to handle it. Because of the many applications, some immigrants may not become citizens in time to vote in November's elections.

The agency has responded that the July 2007 spike was unprecedented and it has been taking steps to deal with the increase. Emilio Gonzalez, the agency's outgoing director, wrote in a blog item posted late Thursday that more than half of all the citizenship applications received in June and July of last year will be done by Sept. 30. He said some who applied after July have become citizens. His agency is predicting 14-to-16 month waits for citizenship.

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On the Net:

Citizenship and Immigration Services

Homeland Security Department blog

[libsrweak]

was born in this bloody America.I am 53. We have a problem don''''t we. We are not the best we can be. We have gone down hill. I asked my gramma about where our roots can from. She said we are American.. Gram no We came from another nation or our kin did. She could not understand what I wanted to know and still need to know..

Posted by MichelleM99 at 03:46 PM : Mar 24, 2008
+ report abuse

*********

and the problem is this country is being overwhelmed by undeserving morons like you you lacks the pride to be an american.
and you are comparing this country to what?? EUROPE??

find one that would take you and we will start from there..

((spare me the ''i am blind'' excuse''))

[michellem99-2009]

I was born in this bloody America.I am 53. We have a problem don''t we. We are not the best we can be. We have gone down hill. I asked my gramma about where our roots can from. She said we are American.. Gram no We came from another nation or our kin did. She could not understand what I wanted to know and still need to know..

[deinie]

THey should have to prove they can support themselves and speak fluent english!
Posted by liberalme at 12:55 PM

Umm... That''s part of the application process. My husband has had medical screenings, FBI background checks, interviews, etc. I had to sign a form stating that he wouldn''t be a drain on society, and I''d take responsibility for him if something happened. He is educated (MBA) and very well employed (one of the top 401K providers in the country). Before everyone starts having a fit, read the article. They are discussing LEGAL immigrants.

[kimberley929-2009]

For all of you who THINK you know the impact of illegal immigration I ask you review the following sites (specifically thcarson- I don''t see any stats on positive impacts which has been shown to far out weigh the negative impacts): www.immigrationpolicy.org - this site provides FACTS, not MYTHS. Also visit the Public Policy Institute of California to see the FACTS about illegal immigration and crime. Then there is the Urban Institute to see FACTS about the crisis farmers, etc. are facing because of the shortage of workers. If only you had a CLUE!!!!!!. We will see how you feel about paying $10 a pound for tomatoes when you have run them out of the country. Also, I am so TIRED of hearing everyone say ''go home and get in line.'' What freaking line would you like them to get into: 66000 H2B Visas issued a year (gone withing days of becoming available), 33000 H1B Visas issued a year (gone within hours of being issued)- the current immigration policy does NOT meet the demands of the U.S. labor market. FACTS! FACTS! FACTS! NOT RHETORIC FROM PEOPLE LIKE LOU DOBBS, BILL 0''RIELLY, TOM TRANCEDO (USING PRISONERS? I DON''T WANT CONVICTED FELONS IN MY BACKYARD! NOT TO MENTION, COLORADO IS NOW CONSIDERING SETTING UP THEIR OWN TEMPORARY WORKER PROGRAM IN MEXICO! THEY HAVE DRIVEN THEM ALL OUT AND NOW THEY ARE IN DIRE NEED OF WORKERS!). Get with the program people.........FACTS!

[bhappy2-2]

As long as they are here LEGALLY, have filed their applications, are taking their tests and following the laws of America I say WELCOME!

[grammawhamma]

At least these people will be here legally....that''s a good thing. The gov should also be working overtime to weed out the illegal immigrants and crack down on those who employ them.
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God "BLESS" America

[downsteamjim]

To Candide777 I caught some nice sac-a-lait or crappie yesterday. This statement is just like yours, irrelavant to the post.

[downsteamjim]

If we need to import people to solve our dependency on foreign oil problem, I say, "Let''''s do it!"
Posted by Candide777

This is kind of like the old movie ''Soylent Green'' except they used the extra people for food rather than oil.

[rudy654-2009]

THey should have to prove they can support themselves and speak fluent english!
Posted by liberalme at 12:55 PM

Typical stupid comment from someone uninformed, and who gets most info from Hannity or Limbaugh. In order to be a citizen all of those issues are reviewed. Go apply and see all that they require. I bet those new citizens understand that the constitution better than you.

[rudy654-2009]

Secondly the difference between you and them is that they are coming here with valid visa and are legal unlike your ancestors who came to this country and killed and raped natives and stoled their land.finally why do you think they are in hurry to let all these people in? well look at your teenage daughter or son who has not read a book in their life and know nothing but playing video games. this country is in need of engineers, specialists and nurses like never before most American companies offer special incentives for foreign engineers to move here and unlike the farm workers they are paid the same salary as other engineers. It''''s about time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.
Posted by ourplanet at 01:49

Well said!

[rudy654-2009]

Posted by theUSA1st at 02:29 PM

This is about legal residents becoming citizens. Or does that not matter to you, because you just hate people anyway?

[rudy654-2009]

I suggest Congress place an immediate moratorium on in-take until a new administration takes power. Then immigration services can be put in order! Half-baked operations can turn out to be worse than no operations at all---for a short period of time! Posted by stn_sage at 02:59 PM

Um, where is there a 200,000 limit on those admitted as citizens?

[stn_sage]

Wait a minute, I don''t like the sound of this! They''ve got 1.4 million applications on hand and they''re working to get approximately half of those that were received prior to July 2006? Well, that better not exceed 200,000, because that''s what the in-take maximum is supposed to be!

Are they getting those Iraqis who helped our troops against their countrymen---or---are they still refusing to take them in? Who''s being taken in and why? They better not be cherry-picking extremist criminals and purposively taking them in!

I suggest Congress place an immediate moratorium on in-take until a new administration takes power. Then immigration services can be put in order! Half-baked operations can turn out to be worse than no operations at all---for a short period of time!

[theusa1st]

why can''t the criminals in Washington on both sides of the aisle start paying people overtime to kick the bloodsucking illegals out ? Then we can send the Mexican government a bill...they can pay it in free oil. Then we can send them a bill for housing the trash they send up here in our jails....

[ourplanet]

HISTORY PROVES DIVERSITY WILL DESTROY A NATION OVER TIME. WILL OUR LEADERS EVER LEAD AGAIN OR JUST KEEP TAKING AMERICA DOWN A DARK PATH OF DESTRUCTION.
Posted by chad55555
What an idiot
First of all most of the immigrants except the ones from south of the border who come here for cheap labor are professionals. next time you go to hospital look around and count all the foreign doctors,go check and see no of foreign scientists in NASA.
Secondly the difference between you and them is that they are coming here with valid visa and are legal unlike your ancestors who came to this country and killed and raped natives and stoled their land.finally why do you think they are in hurry to let all these people in? well look at your teenage daughter or son who has not read a book in their life and know nothing but playing video games. this country is in need of engineers, specialists and nurses like never before most American companies offer special incentives for foreign engineers to move here and unlike the farm workers they are paid the same salary as other engineers. It''s about time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.

[candide777]

"We have to welcome the great minds in this world, not shut them out of our country . . . . Unfortunately, our immigration policies are driving away the world''s best and brightest precisely when we need them most." -- Bill Gates

If we need to import people to solve our dependency on foreign oil problem, I say, "Let''s do it!"

[prinzowhales]

Just keep voting Demopublican and you can have even more immigration--legal and illegal...You don''t mind, do you? The Demopublican House is rushing to get HR4088 passed so we can have even more workers imported to keep your wages down!! Remember!!!! If your wages keep up with inflation, that is inflationary. If Americas CEOs give themselves salary hikes of millions of dollars...that is anti-inflationary.

[candide777]

September 13, 2001:

JERRY FALWELL: God continues to lift the curtain and allow the enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.

PAT ROBERTSON: Jerry, that''s my feeling.

May 14, 2006: McCain travels to divisive America-hating Falwell''s Liberty University to deliver the commencement address apparently confirming the belief that America got what it deserved on 9-11.

[rushlimpdrug]

Actually, most are professionals - engineers, doctors, etc. They are the next best trend in cheap labor (outsourcing is getting expensive for the greedy corporate CEOs).
Posted by mcv57 at 11:46 AM

This is the REAL story.
To bad journalist can''t write about it.

[liberalme]

HISTORY PROVES DIVERSITY WILL DESTROY A NATION OVER TIME. WILL OUR LEADERS EVER LEAD AGAIN OR JUST KEEP TAKING AMERICA DOWN A DARK PATH OF DESTRUCTION.

Posted by chad55555 at 08:06 AM : Mar 22, 2008

You idiot!!

Diversity is what''s made this country so great. Our forefathers came here from all over the world--learned english--became citizens and worked hard to support their families and contribute to who we are today!

Take you white bigoted azz and go to some island where you won''t have to look at anyone different than you.