Due to a fee increase scheduled for this summer, the amount of applications has increased drastically. According to the Agence France- Presse, the department has received twice as many applications as it normally would. They have hired an extra 1,5000 employees, but still believe that those who recently filled for citizenship will be waiting 16-18 months.
According to an article from the BBC, the department is adamant that there is no political motivation driving the backlog.
"We are going to process these cases as responsibly and as quickly as we can, but we're not focused on any of the election cycle," Michael Aytes, associate director of the agency, told the Washington Post.
Still, the problem will keep thousands of would-be voters from participating in the upcoming election.
From the AFP:
Cecilia Munoz, executive vice president of the National Council of La Raza, predicted to the daily Sun-Sentinel that hundreds of thousands of immigrants could miss their chance at the ballot box.
"It's an unhealthy thing for a democracy when you invite people to the door, but slam it in their face when it comes time to participate," Munoz told the Fort Lauderdale, Florida paper.
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