Groups sue over citizenship delays
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Several immigrant rights groups sued the U.S. government in federal court in Los Angeles on Tuesday to end lengthy delays in the citizenship process.
Tens of thousands of immigrants have been waiting for months or even years for the FBI to complete their security name checks and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to approve their citizenship applications. The suit asks a judge to enforce time limits on the name check process.
The plaintiffs, including the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California and the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, argue that legal permanent residents have lost jobs, have been prevented from voting and have missed out on in-state tuition breaks because of the delays.
Meanwhile, the federal government said it has allocated additional resources to address the backlog.
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