Waiting in Line
- The process to immigrate takes around a few years, but in some cases even up to 20
- Many immigrants don't have the time to wait
- One must wait five years after being a permanent resident to apply for citizenship
- May take about a year to become a citizen after that
The Cost
- Immigration costs $465
- The poverty rate in Mexico was 53.2% in 2014, meaning many can't afford this
- Citizenship costs $680
- This makes it even harder for permanent residents to become naturalized
Denial
- 6 million immigrants apply annual
- 1.1 million immigrants were accepted over the past year
- This means that 82% of immigrants are denied
Undocumented Immigration
- Because immigration is so hard, many will try to escape their countries without documentation
- This includes many children who are sent away from crises in their countries
From American Progress, Colorlines, Immigration Policy, Migration Policy, The Guardian, The American Immigration Center, American Immigration Counsel, World Bank