Drive-Up Service Helps Some Take Final Step to US Citizenship

The coronavirus health crisis has led to delays for thousands of people wanting to become citizens of the United States.

The federal agency that processes citizenship¹ requests, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, USCIS, suspended its in-person services in March. At that time, the agency said there were about 110,000 people waiting to complete the final steps to citizenship.

The process of becoming a U.S. citizen is known as "naturalization." The final step in this process is to take an oath of loyalty² to the country at an official ceremony.

Some individuals have been able to complete the process by taking part in an unusual drive-up ceremony.

The drive-up events are designed with physical distancing in mind to protect people from the coronavirus. Those taking part are required to wear face coverings. People remain in their vehicles while taking the citizenship oath. A government official stands a safe distance away to complete the swearing-in process.

One such ceremony took place recently in a parking garage near a federal office building in Detroit, Michigan. When 60-year-old Anita Rosenberger entered the garage, she was a British citizen. Thirty minutes later, after taking the oath, she drove away as a U.S. citizen.

"It was a nice experience in spite of the fact that I was in the car by myself with a mask on," Rosenberger said. "And I will say that I will remember this."

Similar drive-up ceremonies are being held across the country, but possibly not for much longer. USCIS says a budget crisis could force the agency to temporarily release nearly three-fourths of its workforce³. If this happens, it could further delay the final citizenship steps for tens of thousands of people.

The citizenship agency has not explained how it will operate if it does not get $1.2 billion from Congress before August 3. It told The Associated Press that "all USCIS operations will be impacted" by the release of more than 13,000 workers.

USCIS receives nearly all its $4.8 billion budget from fees it collects from people who seek to live or work in the country. The agency is already getting less money after President Donald Trump's administration ordered restrictions⁴ on immigration. The agency said effects of COVID-19 had reduced the amount by half.

The administration also stopped some programs - including a recent halt on H-1B visas for skilled workers - that provide an important source of money for USCIS.

Some in Congress have pushed to permit virtual swearing-in ceremonies, but the agency has so far refused.

Citizenship groups have warned that the citizenship delays could limit the rights of thousands of voters in the country's elections later this year.

Time limits for election registration⁵ are nearing in some states. Individuals seeking to vote must be citizens when they register or risk facing criminal charges or possible deportation⁶, the groups say.

I'm Bryan Lynn.

Words in This Story

oath – n. a formal promise

parking – adj. leaving a vehicle in a particular place for a period of time

garage – n. a small building used to keep cars in

in spite of – phr. although something exists or happens

mask – n. a covering for the face

impact – n. the effect an event or situation has on someone or something

fee – n. an amount of money people pay to do or get something

source – n. where something comes from

virtual – adj. using computer and internet technology to conduct activities normally carried out in person

deportation – n. the forced removal of a person from a country

1 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

2 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

3 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

6 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。