Independence Day is a huge celebration in Washington, D.C. but just how much do local residents know about what it takes to become a citizen here?
In the Tenleytown neighborhood of Northwest Washington, D.C., American citizens were asked a series of questions sampled from the one that immigrants seeking citizenship would have to pass.
Matt Garvey, 65, who walked with his wife on Tuesday through the neighborhood and said he studied law, answered questions like, “What ocean borders the west coast of the United States?” Garvey joked the answer was the Adriatic Sea, but ultimately answered all 12 questions correctly.
For educated U.S. citizens like Garvey, the questions may seem easy. But for many immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, the test is a hurdle in an election season where immigration policy has been front and center for politicians and voters alike.
Powerful political voices like Hillary Clinton believe that this system is outdated and ineffective, “If we claim we are for family, then we have to pull together and resolve the outstanding issues around our broken immigration system,” she said, seen on her campaign website.
The presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump disagrees with Clinton, saying on his website children born to illegal immigrants should not automatically get citizenship status.
Those who are seeking citizenship must pass the United States citizenship test.
First, one must apply for a green card which can prove to be a lengthy process. This grants them permanent residency so long as they don’t violate the law. Green cards are categorized into different types, and a very limited amount from each category are given out yearly.
Once an immigrant receives a green card, they must wait at least five years to gain “permanent resident” status. Once they acquire this status they are eligible to apply for naturalization.
The application process can take at least six months, but it usually spans to a year or more according to the American Immigration Center.
“There’s obviously reform to be made, but you have to be careful about immigration,” said Tom Merrill, 42.