El Immigrante

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/u...agewanted=print

Immigrants Becoming U.S. Citizens at High Rate
By JULIA PRESTON
Legal immigrants in the United States have opted to become American citizens in historically high numbers in the last decade, according to a study published yesterday by the Pew Hispanic Center.

The number of naturalized citizens in the United States population in 2005 was 12.8 million, a record high, the study found. The number reflected not only a growing number of legal immigrants coming to the United States, but also a growing eagerness among them to adopt American citizenship, the study reported.

Of all the immigrants now living legally in the United States, 52 percent are naturalized citizens, while others are permanent residents or have some other immigration status. The last time that citizens made up more than half of all legal immigrants was in 1980, the study found.

The research, which is based primarily on census data, was done by Jeffrey S. Passel, a demographer at the Pew center, a nonpartisan organization based in Washington.

“It is clear that today’s legal immigrants are signing on to a closer relationship with the U.S. than was the case a decade or two ago,” Mr. Passel concluded.

For the first time, European immigrants are no longer the largest group of those who choose to become citizens, according to the study. Over the past decade, they were outnumbered by new citizens who came originally from Latin America or Asia. In the decade before 2005 (the last date when figures were available), nearly 2.4 million immigrants from Latin America became citizens, more than from any other region, the study found.

The willingness of recent immigrants to integrate into American society has been hotly debated as Congress has grappled with changes to the immigration system. To become citizens, legal immigrants must be over 18 and show they have lived continuously in the United States for five years. They have to pass background and health checks, as well as tests to show that they speak basic English and have a minimum knowledge of American laws and history.

There is no limit on the number of eligible immigrants who can become citizens, gaining the right to vote and ensuring they can never be deported. Illegal immigrants, estimated to number about 12 million people, are not eligible to apply for citizenship.

While the number of legal immigrants in the United States increased by 30 percent in the decade after 1995, the study found, the number of naturalized American citizens climbed by 73 percent.

“Ultimately people do want to become full members of the society, and these numbers show that it is happening,” said Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan center in Washington. Ms. Meissner was commissioner of what was then the Immigration and Naturalization Service for seven years in the Clinton administration.

Mexicans showed the biggest increase in naturalizations over the decade, with the number of Mexican immigrants who became citizens increasing by 144 percent. But Mexicans are still less likely to become citizens than many other immigrant groups, the study found.

The report does not explain why naturalization rates have increased. Ms. Meissner said the intensifying political debate, in which many groups have called for deporting illegal immigrants, was a factor. “We know that when immigrants feel threatened, and they feel they might be in danger of losing rights of one kind or another, they are more likely to pursue citizenship,” she said.

NOW, ONTO THE BAD NEWS!!!!!

Dozens Arrested in Md. Immigration Raid

Mar 29 09:19 PM US/Eastern
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) - Immigration agents arrested 69 people Thursday in raids on a temporary employment agency's offices and places where it provided undocumented workers, including the port of Baltimore, authorities said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents also seized a bank account containing more than $600,000 from the employment agency, Jones Industrial Network.

The company's offices and eight other businesses were searched, including three where the temp agency is suspected of providing undocumented workers, ICE said.

The investigation began last year after immigration officials heard that temp agencies had provided illegal immigrants as workers to the port of Baltimore and other unwitting employers, ICE said.

Having "illegal aliens working and having access to our ports is a major security vulnerability," said James Dinkins, ICE special agent in charge.

A telephone call seeking comment from the company was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon. The employment agency's offices downtown near the Inner Harbor were closed Thursday, with a sign in English and Spanish saying the company would not be open.

Family members of those detained gathered with activists outside the company's offices, carrying signs that read "Stop Dividing Our Families," "Stop The Raids," and "Fair Immigration Reform Now."

Daysi Lopez, 24, said the school her 7-year-old brother attends called her house after her mother didn't pick him up because she had been arrested. Jesenia Lazo held her sister-in-law's four-month-old child, David Lazo, who had not been breast-fed since his mother was arrested.

"The child was born here, he is only four months old," Lazo said in Spanish. "We are asking the people from immigration to please return them."

Lazo said her three sisters-in-law work at Under Armour, folding and packing clothing.

Authorities did not release the identities of those arrested, but said Jones managers were not arrested or charged. ICE officials said the investigation is continuing, however.

Jones is the only company that has been targeted criminally, and all others involved in the raids have cooperated, ICE officials said.

A lawyer for sportswear maker Under Armour Inc., which also was raided, said the Baltimore company was not aware that employees were illegal immigrants.

The company has cooperated fully with the investigation and is considering legal action against the temp agency, Under Armour general counsel Kevin Haley said.

"At Under Armour, we are patriots first and last, and we're fully committed to compliance with all laws and regulations," Haley said. "We're furious that apparently one of the temp agencies we use was not so committed or gave the appearance of being not so committed."

The workers were employed at the company's distribution center, Haley said.

Dinkins said 20 of those detained may qualify for humanitarian release. ICE field office director Calvin McCormick said those detained were being transferred to three institutions in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Immigration officials said state and federal officials would interview the detainees to determine whether any medical, sole-caregiver or other issues would qualify them for humanitarian release. Relatives of the detainees can call a 24-hour toll-free hot line, 866-341-3858.

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick this month urged federal authorities not to move out of that state any more factory workers detained in an immigration raid until their children were located and arrangements made for their care. More than 300 people were detained for possible deportation in a raid at a leather factory that makes equipment for the military.

(A previous version of this story wrongly attributed a quote to James Dinkins that was from Calvin McCormick. It also wrongly attributed a quote to McCormick that was from Dinkins. This version corrects both errors.)

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Alfdog

Illegal is illegal

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MWPC Presidente , MW80's #001 , MWJC #002 , MWAN #011

Duke R. Togo

When I'm in So Cal next month I plan on finding an apartment in East L.A. and finding the American dream.

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MATTWEB

Fvcking messicans

Red98Stang

I've been here for ten years, and I still can't apply for a Green Card or Citizenship. Sucks to be from Europe, I know I should have came from a 3rd world country.

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MATTWEB

Funny thing is we'd (White America) rather have your kind.

beanbat

What is your current immigration status? AFAIK, you couldn't have stayed here legally for 10 years without at least being a PR (green card).

Oh, and if you were from a 3rd world country, there is no way you'd have ever been let into the US in the first place.

Crmsn_Ghost

I think you should all go back to where you came from. Native pride FTW.

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jmlufkins

Woot i could stay

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> you

It's free

Red98Stang

Moved here with my parents on their Visa, once I turned 21 got a student one. Now I have to find a job that will sponsor me to stay here once I graduate college this summer.

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04 Mustang GT
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Red98Stang

O'rly!?! Why do we have 34598934893489348934789354789 Haitians down here?

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04 Mustang GT
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Raudering5oh

How about this, we let all illegal immigrants become Citizens. They just have to do one small thing, go through some training and then go to Iraq for a little while.

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MWGC #11

C17chief

La Migra La Migra!

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09 Escape
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347vert

George Carlin-
Bush wants us to cut the amount of gas we use. The best way to stop using so much gas is to deport 11 million illegal immigrants! That would be 11 million less people using our gas. The price of gas would come down.

Bring our troops home from Iraq to guard the border. When they catch an illegal immigrant crossing the border, hand him a canteen, rifle and some ammo and ship him to Iraq . Tell him if he wants to come to America , then he must serve a tour in the military. Give him a soldier's pay while he's there and tax him on it. After his tour, he will be allowed to become a citizen since he defended this country. He will also be registered to be taxed and be a legal patriot. This option will probably deter illegal immigration and provide a solution for the troops in Iraq and the aliens trying to make a better life for themselves. If they refuse to serve, ship them to Iraq anyway, without the canteen, rifle or ammo.

Problem solved!

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SaleenPowr

You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. You would be suprised to know that the majority of this country's legally imported workforce comes from countries like India, Philipines, Singapore, etc. Hate to burst your knowledge bubble but nurses, engineers, physical therapists and pharmacists go to the front of the line when it comes to applying for a visa.

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Greg
2007 Wrangler Unlimited X 4-Door, Metallic Red with 6spd manual
MW80's Crew #5

beanbat

For starters, India, Phillippines, Singapore, etc. are not really third world countries. They have great education systems, lots of industry, and are growing very quickly. IMO, they don't qualify as being 'third world'. Go spend some time in some rural African villages, and you will see what 'third world' really means. Further, in order to come here, people from those countries that you listed need to have a company sponsoring them. They don't just give out visas like they are candy to anyone/everyone who wants them.

Secondly, how many real life third world countries have you been to? Of those countries, in how many of them have you actually visited the US Embassy to see how the process works? What's that? None? Yeah, that's what I thought.

I've been to 3rd world countries. I've seen the actual process with my own eyes. I have read all the statistics published from the US government. If you come from a real life third world country, you will NOT be allowed to enter the United States. They only allow a VERY small handful of people from those countries in each year. A small fraction of a percent of all the people who apply are actually allowed to visit the US. An even smaller % are actually allowed to stay.

SaleenPowr

Again, your post:


You clearly stated that if you were from a 3rd world country, there is "no way" you would be allowed in. Just pointing out that many people from 3rd world countries do get the opportunity to come tot he US. How do I know?....maybe cause I'm an international recruiter that processes peoples visas like the H1-B or EB-3 everyday and have been to places like India, Philipines, Nigeria, Singapore, Qatar, UAE, and Kuwait. Hate to break it to you, but the Philipines and India are still classified as "Third World". Yeah India may be on the cusp but they are still Third World.

It's funny that you mention villages in Africa, this quarter alone I have personally brought over three RN's from Nigeria.

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Greg
2007 Wrangler Unlimited X 4-Door, Metallic Red with 6spd manual
MW80's Crew #5

03zincGT

Do you have to pay them in money orders?

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SaleenPowr

No I tell them I have a rich cousin that wants to dontate $40 Million to charity. If they sign with me, they get 10%.

In all honesty, Nigeria is VERY high in fraud (go figure) so their consular processing usually takes a bit longer. A typical EB3 petition takes about 7-13 months but if your from Nigeria it can take up to 2 years.

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Greg
2007 Wrangler Unlimited X 4-Door, Metallic Red with 6spd manual
MW80's Crew #5