Friday, July 20, 2007
 
 Citizenship Requests Rising
 
 By Gabriela C. Guzman <http://www.abqjournal.com/cgi-bin/email_reporter.pl> 
 Journal Staff Writer, Albuquerque Journal

     It hit home when Daniel Orona tried to buy a home. The real estate agent told the 21-year-old he would get a better interest rate on his home loan if he were a U.S. citizen.
     After being a legal permanent resident for close to six years, Orona says it's time for him to make the leap and become a U.S. citizen.
     "There are a lot more benefits," Orona said of being a citizen as opposed to being a legal resident.
     Orona is part of a national trend in which thousands of legal residents are submitting their applications to become citizens.
     Since January, more than 500,000 immigrants nationally have applied to become U.S. citizens, which is a 60 percent increase over the same time last year.
     New Mexico has also seen an increase, according to statistics reported by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
     During the first four months of 2006, 507 immigrants living in central and northern New Mexico applied for citizenship, compared to 787 during the same time period this year? a 55.2 percent jump.
     Business has been brisk since the beginning of the year, local immigration attorney Victoria Ferrara said.
     "Clients are telling me they are nervous. They don't feel safe even with their residency," Ferrara said.
     Her clients say they fear federal immigration law might change and limit their ability to become citizens or remain in the United States.
     "They want to be safe and have their citizenship," Ferrara said.
     To help legal residents thinking about applying for citizenship, the local immigrant rights group Somos Un Pueblo Unido is holding a citizenship workshop today at Santa Fe Community College.
     The workshop is also part of a larger national campaign, Ya Es Hora. Ciudadania!? which translates into "Now is the time. Citizenship!"? to help 1 million legal immigrants become citizens. The campaign also includes registering those new citizens to vote in time for the 2008 elections.
     Organizers of this national campaign are focusing on key western states, including New Mexico.
     Many immigrants, both legal and illegal, were frustrated that the recent immigration debate resulted in no comprehensive reform, said Marcela Diaz, executive director of Somos.
     Diaz noted most immigrant families consist of family members with mixed immigration status.
     Orona said he, too, was discouraged after Congress failed to pass any immigration legislation.
     Orona and others from Santa Fe traveled to Washington, D.C., last month to talk with New Mexico's two senators about passing immigration reform.
     Both Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman were receptive to the Santa Fe group, but when nothing passed, Orona said he became frustrated.
     Once he becomes a citizen, Orona said he will be eager to exercise his right to vote.
     "I wish I could have a voice in that," Orona said referring to the national immigration debate.
     Applying for citizenship is no easy feat.
     First, an immigrant must be a legal permanent resident for five years and have lived in the United States for at least half of that time, Ferrara said.
     Residents must have no criminal record.
     Aside from an application, there is a test quizzing applicants on their knowledge of U.S. history and civics, and an interview.
     Only applicants who are 50 or older and have been a resident for at least 20 years or those 55 or older and a resident for 15 years can have the interview conducted in their native language.
     Ferrara added some U.S.-born citizens might find it difficult to answer some of the questions on the citizenship exam.
     Questions include "Who said 'Give me liberty or give me death?' '' and "Who becomes president of the United States if the president and the vice president should die?"
     The answers are Patrick Henry and the speaker of the House of Representatives.
     Also, applicants must pay a $400 fee, which jumps to $675 at the end of this month.
     For some immigrants, applying for U.S. citizenship makes for a hard sentimental decision if their home county does not allow dual citizenship, said Ferrara, who's father is from Italy.
     "For some, it's bittersweet to have to renounce citizenship of their home country," Ferrara said.