Creating new citizens

Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

When lawful permanent residents of the United States seek to become citizens of this country, they take an oath administered by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or by a federal judge in a naturalization ceremony.

Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, federal courts have the option to administer the oaths. They are reimbursed $14.09 per person by the citizenship agency, with the money to be used to help defray overhead and other court costs.

But a report released Tuesday by agency ombudsman Michael Dougherty said some of the federal courts that have agreed to administer oaths have either taken too much time to schedule the ceremonies or have made other demands that have made it difficult for many people to achieve citizenship in a timely fashion.

One court’s delay caused 1,951 people to miss the registration period that would have allowed them to vote in the November election. In another case, a court insisted the agency spend more money to rent a scenic historical site for the ceremony, which the agency agreed to do after a week of haggling with the court. And judges have made inappropriate religious or political comments at ceremonies.

Although stating the agency works hard to naturalize citizens and many courts provide flexible scheduling, Dougherty also said courts that choose to give oaths should “embrace a customer service ethic that recognizes the singular importance of oath ceremonies.”

We could not agree more.

Courts that exert their authority to administer the oaths ought to make the time available to ensure they can schedule all naturalization ceremonies that are necessary so qualified individuals can obtain timely citizenship. Unnecessary delays are inexcusable, especially when they are caused by a judicial branch that is supposed to represent one of the greatest benefits of citizenship.