{"id":187398,"date":"2016-09-18T19:55:22","date_gmt":"2016-09-19T01:55:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/?p=187398"},"modified":"2016-09-19T12:17:18","modified_gmt":"2016-09-19T18:17:18","slug":"advocates-celebrate-increase-in-citizenship-applications-in-nm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2016\/09\/advocates-celebrate-increase-in-citizenship-applications-in-nm\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocates celebrate increase in citizenship applications in NM"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday — which is known as\u00a0Citizenship Day<\/a> — immigrant-rights groups and labor activists celebrated a recent 25 percent increase in U.S. citizenship applications in\u00a0New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

Denise Womack-Avila \/ flickr.com<\/p>

The flags of the United States and, below it, New Mexico. (photo cc info<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

According to the\u00a0nonprofit\u00a0Somos Un Pueblo Unido, new data<\/a> from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office shows that 637 citizenship applications were received in New Mexico during the second\u00a0quarter of 2016, or the period from April 1 to June 30<\/span><\/span>.<\/p>\n

In contrast, 537 citizenship applications were submitted to the USCIS during the same period last year, Somos said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Somos members who became citizens this year sounded out on their reasons for taking the life step.<\/p>\n

\u201cI decided to become a U.S. citizen so I can have the right to vote,\u201d Hobbs resident Berta Andrade said. \u201cThe rights of dairy workers, immigrant rights and immigration reform are very important issues for me and my family. That\u2019s why after living in Hobbs for over 20 years I decided to attend a citizenship forum last December and start the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now also a voter registration agent, Andrade is encouraging others to exercise their rights at the ballot box as part of Somos\u2019 non-partisan Viva el Voto campaign in McKinley, Lea, Roosevelt, Chaves and Curry counties.<\/p>\n