A lawsuit seeking class action status accuses U.S. government officials of illegally delaying some immigrants' background checks and allowing their applications to linger indefinitely. The American Civil Liberties Union and a Muslim civil rights group claim that some Southern California immigrants have been waiting two years or more for their citizenship. The suit alleges that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service discriminates against Islamic applicants or purposely delays their paperwork.
The lawsuit says federal law requires government officials to approve or deny a citizenship application 120 days after an immigrant passes the naturalization exam. As well, some immigrants allegedly have been waiting six months or more for naturalization after filing applications at the Los Angeles office of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service.
