Why are fewer immigrants becoming U.S. citizens?

Question

Why are fewer immigrants becoming U.S. citizens?

Answer 1

12.1 million legal residents lived in the US in January 2006. It seems the question is close to right? out of 12 million legal residents why are so few becoming citizens?

Answer 2

Because in the majority of the country they get what they came here for without the need for citizenship.

Answer 3

More higher-income legal permanent residents are becoming citizens, because with immigration reform, those who are here legally will continue to see their rights diminish. More lower-income LPR's are deterred from naturalizing because it's becoming more expensive to become one.

People!  From your answers, I think you need to study the difference between illegals and legals.  Only LEGALS can become US citizens, and that is what the asker's question was about - Not a rant about illegals.

Answer 4

Because we in the USA does not have the capacity to make them all legals but it is not them because all of them see our American citizenship as gold for their pockets, so you cannot be right when you say that only a few of them are becoming citizens.  

Answer 5

Because they know they can get all the freebies by remaining illegal.

Answer 6

A lot of immigrants come here so they can earn enough money to support themselves and their family.

Answer 7

Fewer than what?  Where did you find statistics that say this?  In 2007, 660,477 immigrants became US citizens.  2006 was 702,589, 2005 604,280, 2004 537,151, 2003 463,204, 2002 573,708, 2001  608,205, 2000 888,788,  1999 839,944.  So you can see that the number dropped off after September 11, but is recovering.  This pattern coincides with the temporary drop but ongoing recovery in the numbers of people applying for US non-immigrant visas, as well.