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Citizenship Seekers Are Fewer

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The Associated Press

Published: September 11, 2008

ORANGE, Calif. - Immigrants aren't seeking U.S. citizenship as often these days - not since the American dream became more expensive.

Following a 69 percent increase last summer in citizenship fees, about 281,000 immigrants have applied to become U.S. citizens in the first half of 2008 - less than half the number of applicants in the same period last year, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The decline follows a rush of applications when immigrants hurried to get their paperwork filed before fees shot up at the end of July 2007. In that month alone, more than 460,000 immigrants applied for citizenship.

They paid $400. The new fee is $675 - a price some people believe is a barrier to citizenship.

Thu Tran, director of a citizenship program at Catholic Charities of Orange County, said she helped more than 100 people a month fill out citizenship papers during the past few years. This year, she helps about 50 a month.

"I have people who make appointments and cancel," Tran said. "We follow up and they say they don't have the money to pay for that."

While immigrant advocates blame higher fees and a wobbly economy, a federal official said a variety of reasons could have caused the decline.

"For everyone, it's different," said Sharon Rummery, a spokeswoman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The agency has not had so few applicants to open a year since 2003, when nearly 270,000 people applied for U.S. citizenship.

APPLICATIONS DROP

Application totals from January through June:

2008 - 281,197

2007 - 686,816

2006 - 397,299

2005 - 321,578

2004 - 379,276

2003 - 269,689

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

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