Applications for U.S. Citizenship Surge

The number of applicants had been rising steadily in recent years. The reasons include more nations permitting their citizens to hold dual nationality and U.S. government cutbacks in social services and other benefits for noncitizens.

In the past, fear has spurred surges in citizenship applications. After a 1994 California ballot initiative that was intended to cut services to undocumented immigrants, applications soared. The same happened after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as many immigrants wanted to show solidarity with their adopted homeland or wanted not to be targeted by a backlash.

This time, the surge can be traced back to mid-December, when the House of Representatives passed tough legislation to tighten border security and force employers to verify their employees status, while rejecting an immigrant guest-worker plan.

"It sent a jolt of fear through many immigrant communities," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, an immigrant advocacy group. "It was so draconian that people eligible to naturalize said, 'We'd better take citizenship before they take that away from us.' "

Last month, the Senate passed legislation that offers a path to citizenship for many longtime illegal immigrants, if they pay back taxes, learn English and have committed no serious crimes. But the bill faces stiff opposition in the House.

"It's a very unstable atmosphere now," Sharry said.

Immigrant advocates are trying to use the fear and uncertainty to galvanize a future army of voters. By some estimates, as many as 8 million immigrants are eligible to become naturalized citizens. It's unknown how many are in the Washington area. A 2003 study by the Urban Institute found 196,000 legal permanent residents eligible for naturalization in the District, Virginia and Maryland.

Those applying for citizenship now will most likely not be able to vote in the November elections. Still, advocacy groups nationwide are joining hands to persuade more legal residents to become citizens, seeing this as the next step in a national movement to secure rights for immigrants.

On Wednesday, Gutierrez and other Hispanic American politicians and immigration advocates announced that National Citizenship Day would be observed July 1 and that scores of citizenship workshops are planned across the nation.

"We have shown our strength in numbers. We have shown our strength in economic power," Jaime Contreras, chairman of the National Capital Immigration Coalition, a leading advocacy group, told reporters. "Now we have to show our strength at the voting booth. And we know we have it."