‘The Trump Effect’ blamed for record number of immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship in New Bedford
By Kirsten Glavin
@kirstenglavin
NEW BEDFORD, MA – The number of immigrants rushing to apply for U.S. citizenship in New Bedford has doubled this year, according to the executive director of the Immigrants Assistance Center in New Bedford, Helena DaSilva Hughes. She credits the increase to a fear of Donald Trump.
"Our numbers of people applying for citizenship have doubled,” Hughes explained to ABC6 News.
They’re calling the influx of applicants, “the Donald Trump Effect.” She believes Donald trump’s policies on immigration and talks of deportation are scaring people into applying. Legal or not, Hughes said talks of building walls across the border and deporting a large number of immigrants across the country, is causing adults and even children in New Bedford to ask questions about what could happen to them.
"We had a student that came up to me and said, ‘Who do you think is going to become President? Do you really think that Donald Trump is going to become president?’ and there was fear in his face,” Hughes said.
The Immigrant’s Assistance Center’s classroom has been full, with phone calls flooding in.
Senir Synvain is an immigrant from Brazil, living in New Bedford legally on a green card. She told ABC6 that she has been in the country for almost 6 years, and is in the final stages of applying to become a U.S. citizen.
"I think we feel insecure because we don’t know what will happen,” Synvian said.
She is just one of many taking classes and filling out the paperwork, and part of a record-breaking number of applicants, fearful.
"They feel like, what will happen? Especially if donald trump wins. (…) It’s one reason many people are starting to think about becoming citizens."
The center has submitted more than 250 U.S. citizen applications so far, this year. A total of 150 applied last year.
"It’s great news! It’s just fear that is triggering them to become us citizens,” said Hughes.
