Many are looking forward to voting in November elections. However, many U.S. immigrants may not be able to exercise this right due to the coronavirus pandemic.

More than 300,000 U.S. immigrants are at risk of not getting U.S. citizenship to cast their votes after suspending the naturalization application process due to the current health crisis.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has suspended in-person interviews and oath ceremonies this spring. Many were affected by this action. 

Reports said that about 252,000 immigrants have already faced delays when it comes to processing their citizenship. The number will reach 315,000 by the end of August if delays due to the current pandemic continue.

Pew Research Center's study said that around 10 percent of voters in the 2020 U.S. Presidential election was expected to be immigrants.

U.S. Immigrants' Story

U.S. immigrant 44-year old Alex Beric applied for naturalization in May 2019 as he was hoping to become a U.S. citizen to vote in November presidential election.

But he has become part of the number of immigrants who might not be able to vote because of processing delays due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Beric came to the U.S. in 2004. He said it would be disappointing if he would not be able to vote because of the delays.

"My wife and I have made our life here. We have no intention to return to England, so it would be nice to take part in local and federal elections," Beric was quoted in a report.

Beric was notified of his naturalization interview in early March, but it was moved to April 21.

Beric received another notification about his naturalization interview, saying that it would be rescheduled due to the pandemic.

Beric is still waiting for his naturalization interview to be rescheduled.

Beric lives in Gilbert, Arizona where the deadline for registration to vote in November elections is Oct. 8.

In Chicago, there were 21, 977 pending naturalization applications.

Fortunately for Rissi Pacheco, she was able to attain her U.S. citizenship in the past week.

Pacheco said she was living in fear because of her immigration status but it changed because of a ceremony that took less than 10 minutes.

Eréndira Rendón said that it will be almost unlikely for those who applied in January to have their applications processed in time for the elections.

Rendón is a member of Resurrection Project, which is a community organization that focuses on immigration.

Naturalization Application Process 

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services resumed the oath ceremonies in June. But in-person naturalization interviews are still suspended.

USCIS operates on the application fees it collects from immigrants applying for naturalization and immigration benefits. The agency faces a huge budget shortfall.

Director of research for U.S. programs at the Migration Policy Institute Randy Capps said the budget problem started last year, which was worsened by the pandemic.

With this, more than two-thirds of the USCIS staff are facing furloughs starting in August, unless the agency receives the $1.2 billion financial cover it requested from Congress.

Reports said USCIS officials did not respond for comment.


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