More Unsurprising News
Last July, I commented on the sudden rush to file for citizenship when the Department of Homeland Security announced that a rather dramatic increase in the filing fees was in the offing. That folks who had delayed seeking citizenship would suddenly file to avoid the increase was no surprise, or at least shouldn't have been. However, the rocket scientists at DHS apparently were surprised, so much so that the lag in processing the submitted paperwork will result in citizenship being granted too late for people to register to vote in the 2008 election. How surprising is that?
From today's Washington Post:
The Department of Homeland Security failed to prepare for a massive influx of applications for U.S. citizenship and other immigration benefits this summer, prompting complaints from Hispanic leaders and voter-mobilization groups that several hundred thousand people likely will not be granted citizenship in time to cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election.
Bush administration officials said yesterday that they had anticipated applicants would rush to file their paperwork to beat a widely publicized fee increase that took effect July 30, but did not expect the scale of the response. The backlog comes just months after U.S. officials failed to prepare for tougher border security requirements that triggered months-long delays for millions of Americans seeking passports.
Before the fee hike, citizenship cases typically took about seven months to complete. Now, immigration officials can take five months or more just to acknowledge receipt of applications from parts of the country and will take 16 to 18 months on average to process applications filed after June 1, according to officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of DHS. Such a timeline would push many prospective citizens well past voter-registration deadlines for the 2008 primaries and the general elections.
The Department of Homeland Security failed to prepare for a massive influx of applications for U.S. citizenship and other immigration benefits this summer, prompting complaints from Hispanic leaders and voter-mobilization groups that several hundred thousand people likely will not be granted citizenship in time to cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election.
And why the failure to prepare for a massive influx of applicantions? The answer is a classic Bushism:
"We expected [the fee increase] might stimulate demand from some folks to file who wouldn't have otherwise, and some from folks to file earlier than they would have," said Michael Aytes, associate director of USCIS, "but we never anticipated" the extent of the growth. "It went off the charts," he said.
Well, duh!
Who could have predicted with all the trash talking on immigrants going on that folks might want to take the targets off their backs?
One thing DHS apparently could predict is that those folks would want to vote and that they just might not vote the way the current regime would like. Why hire on more people to handle the volume if it means an end to the gravy train?
Welcome to the "New America," folks.
Oh, and no smoking in line.
From today's Washington Post:
The Department of Homeland Security failed to prepare for a massive influx of applications for U.S. citizenship and other immigration benefits this summer, prompting complaints from Hispanic leaders and voter-mobilization groups that several hundred thousand people likely will not be granted citizenship in time to cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election.
Bush administration officials said yesterday that they had anticipated applicants would rush to file their paperwork to beat a widely publicized fee increase that took effect July 30, but did not expect the scale of the response. The backlog comes just months after U.S. officials failed to prepare for tougher border security requirements that triggered months-long delays for millions of Americans seeking passports.
Before the fee hike, citizenship cases typically took about seven months to complete. Now, immigration officials can take five months or more just to acknowledge receipt of applications from parts of the country and will take 16 to 18 months on average to process applications filed after June 1, according to officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which is part of DHS. Such a timeline would push many prospective citizens well past voter-registration deadlines for the 2008 primaries and the general elections.
The Department of Homeland Security failed to prepare for a massive influx of applications for U.S. citizenship and other immigration benefits this summer, prompting complaints from Hispanic leaders and voter-mobilization groups that several hundred thousand people likely will not be granted citizenship in time to cast ballots in the 2008 presidential election.
And why the failure to prepare for a massive influx of applicantions? The answer is a classic Bushism:
"We expected [the fee increase] might stimulate demand from some folks to file who wouldn't have otherwise, and some from folks to file earlier than they would have," said Michael Aytes, associate director of USCIS, "but we never anticipated" the extent of the growth. "It went off the charts," he said.
Well, duh!
Who could have predicted with all the trash talking on immigrants going on that folks might want to take the targets off their backs?
One thing DHS apparently could predict is that those folks would want to vote and that they just might not vote the way the current regime would like. Why hire on more people to handle the volume if it means an end to the gravy train?
Welcome to the "New America," folks.
Oh, and no smoking in line.
Labels: Immigration, Well Duh
posted by Diane at 7:39 AM
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