From the Partnership for New Americans (http://partnershipfornewamericans.org/):
CHICAGO—According to USCIS data published recently, 926,189 individuals have applied to become American citizens since this time last year. The data from the third quarter of FY 2016 shows a 32.1 percent spike in naturalization applications over the same quarter of FY 2015. Year to date, FY 2016 has seen a 24.8 percent spike in applications over FY 2015. In a typical year, naturalization numbers hover around 650,000.
The recent data from quarter three correspond to the most concentrated push of NPNA’s Stand Up to Hate campaign. In partnership with Mi Familia Vota, Latino Victory Foundation, SEIU, the United Food and Commercial Workers, Congressman Luis Gutierrez, and United HERE, NPNA coordinated a vigorous, nationwide effort to drive a nationwide spike in naturalizations—to one million—by June 2016. Our analysis told us that those who naturalized before then would be processed in time to take their oaths and register to vote by November.
In the past year, NPNA members–like PLAN, CHIRLA, ICIRR, FLIC, CIRC, NYIC, CASA, Make the Road, OneAmerica, TIRRC, and many more–have held over 500 workshops across the country, assisting over 15,000 legal permanent residents, commonly known as green card holders, to become American citizens.
Our work is not over. Citizenship Day 2016 is this Saturday September 17. NPNA members have organized 52 Citizenship Day events across the country. Our member organizations have thrown down together to emphasize the urgency of becoming a citizen in order to vote this November. This year we will reclaim the conversation about what being American means, what American looks and sounds like. Join the conversation as we launch #WhyImAmerican to showcase stories of people who have become citizens, are in the process of becoming a citizen, and those who currently don’t have a path to citizenship but embody American values and work towards their American dreams nonetheless.
“The immigrant community is large and growing more powerful. Each year new Americans who become citizens and children of immigrants become eligible voters,” said Julien Ross, Executive Director of Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition and NPNA Board Member. “Immigrants are our neighbors, friends, peers and colleagues, and it will be seen that embracing immigrant communities is not only morally right but politically necessary in this country.”
Read our Fact Sheet on naturalization applications for Fiscal Year 2016.
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