n Arkansas, there are 40,000 immigrants who are permanent residents. Some are trying to change that status to citizen before the 2016 presidential election.
"Right now we're seeing heightened interest in the immigrant community as related to the 2016 elections. Regardless of which party you belong to or which camp, immigration is amongst the top issues being discussed and immigrants themselves want to have a say over the results," said Mireya Reith of the Arkansas United Community Coalition.
Having a say in those results means becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. According to the U.S. State Department's Citizenship and Immigration Services, there's been a 14 percent increase in naturalization applications compared to this time last year.
"The folks who feel strongly about immigration are definitely trying to come in and apply for naturalization so they can vote in this election," said Murad Elsaidi, who is a Little Rock immigration attorney.
More at:
http://katv.com/news/local/citizenship-applications-increasing-ahead-of-2016-election
