Recent data from City College of San Francisco show a growing number of enrollment in citizenship classes specifically designed for the Chinese community in Chinatown. Since President Trump’s reelection in November of last year, more and more elderly Chinese immigrants are seeking training for mock citizenship interviews in order to be able to answer immigration officers’ questions confidently.
Apart from the citizenship exam training, participants also need to improve their English proficiency in order to pass the citizenship exam. The citizenship exam guide recently released by the Trump administration indicates a significant increase in the difficulty level compared to previous years.
According to Curt Neal Sanford, the instructor, students express concerns even though they are legal residents and green card holders, as they worry that having a green card may no longer be enough to ensure their safety in the United States.
One student expressed, “I don’t even want to travel abroad anymore, what if I can’t come back to the U.S.?”
In the past, many Chinese immigrants were reluctant to become U.S. citizens as it meant giving up their Chinese passports, and China does not recognize dual citizenship. However, with the Trump administration’s strengthened immigration enforcement, what was once seen as a privilege and security of permanent resident status now appears to be increasingly precarious.
There have been cases of permanent residents who have lived in the U.S. for decades being deported due to minor offenses from many years ago. Advocates point out that such concerns are common within the Chinese-American community.
Jose Ng, manager of the Immigration Rights Project at Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA), stresses the importance for green card holders eligible for citizenship to apply as soon as possible. Ng emphasizes, “Applying for citizenship is the most powerful safeguard, meaning you don’t have to worry about being deported or denied reentry.”
During a citizenship test question explanation regarding why certain states have more congressmen, 26-year-old immigrant Bell Chen from Guangxi scratched his head in confusion. Chen, who has been a green card holder for six years and works in a restaurant in the Sunset District, supports President Trump and believes that the government’s efforts to deport illegal immigrants are necessary, even if it may affect him personally.
Chen stated in Mandarin, “I think as long as I study hard and spend some time memorizing the answers, it should be fine.” He is confident that he will eventually master all the answers, but whether that will be enough for him to become a citizen remains uncertain.
Some green card holders choose to wait due to not meeting citizenship requirements or having a history of misconduct.
The complexity of immigration laws is evident through the lengthy 20-page N-400 form that only accepts an English version. Legal assistance can significantly increase the success rate for permanent residents but comes with high costs. The average fees charged by immigration lawyers in San Francisco range from $12,000 to $20,000.
The Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA) in San Francisco is dedicated to assisting permanent residents in their citizenship applications and has seen a surge in requests for help this year.
Executive Director Jorge Rivas noted, “We immediately noticed a spike in citizenship applications after the new president took office.”
The public-private partnership project “San Francisco Pathways to Citizenship Initiative,” jointly promoted by OCEIA and local foundations, has been funding assistance for permanent residents applying for citizenship, with a sharp increase in demand over the past year.