Citizenship Request Backlog Spurs Lawsuits

An increasing number of immigrants waiting for action on their citizenship applications are suing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for failing to act by the deadline.

Applicants are facing increasing backlogs as the agency spends more time vetting applicants’ backgrounds in response to the Sept. 11 attacks, the Washington Post reports.

Last fiscal year, unhappy applicants filed 3,900 lawsuits against the immigration agency, up from only 370 lawsuits in 2005. The plaintiffs claim the government must act within 120 days of their interview; the government says the time period doesn’t begin to run until the FBI completes its name check.

Immigration Services spokesman William Wright acknowledged an increase in litigation, but said the agency is “making significant progress in reducing the backlog.”