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FACT BRIEF

Are Democrats fast-tracking citizenship for immigrants so they can vote in swing states?

By Carmela Guaglianone
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NO

There is no evidence to suggest that immigrants are receiving expedited citizenship in swing states like Arizona. Assuming they haven’t served in the military or married a citizen, individuals typically must have held permanent resident status for at least five years to apply for U.S. citizenship. More than 90% of applicants fall into this category.

Arizona welcomed 35,000 new citizens through naturalization between 2021 and 2022, an uptick of a few thousand over prior years. The U.S. generally has seen a surge in the number of naturalized citizens since 2020, as officials address COVID-19 backlogs. Naturalizations decreased slightly in 2023, however. Data for 2024 is not yet available.

Statistically, just one in 10 people eligible for naturalization become citizens. Fewer than 200,000 lawful permanent residents eligible to naturalize live in Arizona, according to August 2024 data. California, Texas and Florida consistently see the most naturalized citizens.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Who Is Eligible for Naturalization?
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Naturalization Statistics
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Eligible to Naturalize Dashboard
U.S. Department of Homeland Security State Immigration Statistics
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.