NATURALIZATION:

ANOTHER COVID-19 CASUALTY

In 2019, over 830,000 new citizens were naturalized and most

registered to vote. Through March 2020, approximately 168,000 were
naturalized and 700,000 more were “pending.” Those pending will most
likely have to wait until 2021, unless the USCIS comes up with new
ways to naturalize new citizens.

The delay is due to COVID-19 restrictions, and a 2017 policy requiring

in-person interviews. Now, rather than gathering in a small federal
courtroom, drive-in ceremonies are being tested. The virus will not
only prevent hundreds of thousands of immigrants from being
naturalized, but also deprive them the opportunity to vote in what could
have been their first presidential election.

Candidates for naturalization whose status is currently “pending” will

most likely not become new citizens in time to vote in the upcoming
presidential election. It’s unfortunate for the individuals, for their
ethnic/racial community, and candidates who need their votes. It’s fairly
common knowledge now that naturalized citizens have higher voter
turnout rates than native-born citizens.

There are now 23 million naturalized citizens in the US. The majority of
them live in 10 battleground states won by Trump in 2016. Their vote
could determine the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

Dr. Juan Andrade, Jr.

President
United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, Inc.
About USHLI
USHLI is an award-winning Chicago-based national non-profit, non-partisan, tax-
exempt organization. Since 1982, USHLI has registered 2.3 million new voters;
published 425 reports on Latino demographics and the Almanac of Latino
Politics; sponsored 38 national conferences, each attended by leaders from 40
states; trained over 1.1 million present and future leaders; and awarded over $1.3
million in scholarships and internships.
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