THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
TRAIL HAS BEEN FILLED WITH
TOUGH TALK THIS YEAR.
SOME OF THE STRONGEST LANGUAGE
CENTERED ON IMMIGRATION.
THAT TALK MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WANTING TO
BECOME NEW CITIZENS.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE SEEN
A SURGE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE
APPLYING FOR NATURALIZATION IN
MINNESOTA.
IT'S UP 12% WHEN YOU COMPARE
THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THIS
YEAR TO LAST YEAR.
NATIONALLY IT'S UP 13%.
ANGELA DAVIS SPOKE WITH AN
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY ABOUT THE
REASONS.
IN DOING OUR OUTREACH AND
EDUCATIONAL PRESENTATIONS
PEOPLE HAVE SHARED THEIR
CONCERNS WITH SOME OF WHAT'S
BEING TALKED ABOUT IN THE
ELECTIONS.
THE IMMIGRANT LAW CENTER OF
MINNESOTA OFFERS FREE LEGAL
SERVICES TO PEOPLE APPLYING FOR
U.S. CITIZENSHIP.
WE HAVE HAD SOME CALLERS
THAT SAID I WANT TO VOTE IN THE
ELECTION THIS FALL AND ASKED IF
THAT WAS POSSIBLE.
IF THEY COULD STILL DO THAT.
WE KNOW THAT'S ON THE MIND OF
PEOPLE.
ATTORNEYS SAY THEY CAN'T
POINT TO JUST ONE REASON FOR
THE INCREASE IN NATURALIZATION
APPLICATIONS BUT THEY'RE
CERTAIN ANTI IMMIGRATION
CAMPAIGN RHETORIC DOESN'T HELP.
THEY'VE TAKEN NOTE OF THE VOTE
TO BUILD A WALL AND BAN MUSLIM
IMMIGRANTS TO THE U.S.
I THINK HE'S NOT READY TO BE
A PRESIDENT.
HE SAYS HE BECAME A U.S.
CITIZEN IN 2002.
WE TALKED TO HIM ON THE WEST
SIDE OF ST. PAUL WHERE MANY
FAMILIES OF MEXICAN DECENT
LIVE.
I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS
COUNTRY IN A CIVIL WAR LIKE WE
SAW BEFORE.
BECAUSE OF SOMEBODY SAYING THAT
WE'RE NOT GOOD.
IF THEY SEE THEMSELVES
PORTRAYED ONLY NEGATIVELY, YOU
KNOW, IN THESE STEREOTYPES THAT
KEEP GETTING PERPETUATED THAT
-- THAT'S GOT TO BE INCREDIBLY
FRUSTRATING.
THE ATTORNEY TOLD ME ONE OF
THE DIFFICULTIES FOR MANY
IMMIGRANTS IS THE APPLICATION
FEE AND THE CITIZENSHIP
PROCESS.
IT'S $685.
TO BECOME ELIGIBLE YOU MUST BE
18, DEMONSTRATE KNOWLEDGE OF
U.S. HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT,
AND READ, WRITE, AND SPEAK
ENGLISH, UNLESS YOU QUALIFY FOR
ONE OF THE EXEMPTIONS TO ALL OF
THAT.
IS THIS JUST HERE OR
EVERYWHERE IN.
IT'S NATIONWIDE.
ONE OF THE STATES THAT'S SEEN A
MORE DRAMATIC JUMP IS
MASSACHUSETTS.
THEY'VE SEEK A 30% INCREASE
WHEN YOU COMPARE THE NUMBER OF
IMMIGRANTS THAT APPLIED THE
FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
IN MASSACHUSETTS THEY HAD 8,000
PEOPLE TO BEGIN THE PROCESS.
MANY CITING A DESIRE TO
HOPEFULLY BE DONE WITH THE
PROCEDURE TO BE ABLE TO CAST A
