Citizenship Coverage

Man's US citizenship revoked for lies about criminal record

A man who lied about his criminal record on an application to become a United States citizen will spend additional time prison and lose his citizenship.

NC lawmakers move up absentee ballot deadline, push other elections changes

Absentee ballots would have to be received by the time polls close on Election Day to count, under legislation that cleared the General Assembly on Thursday.

Matthew Burns, WRAL.com senior producer/politics editor

Johnston County man in country fighting deportation by ICE back to Guatemala

A Johnston County church reached out to WRAL because one of its parishioners is facing deportation.

Aaron Thomas, WRAL reporter

Johnston County man in US illegally facing deportion

WRAL's Aaron Thomas was with a Johnston County man who is struggling with the possibility of being deported. Juan Zelada crossed into the US illegally 15 years ago.

Cooper vetoes non-citizen voting bill, signs six others

Governor says there's too much risk of "voter harassment and intimidation" in Republican-backed bill.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter

Son of deported man pleads guilty to assaulting ICE agents

The son of a man who was deported last year after living in sanctuary in a Durham church for months pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting federal immigration officers during his father's arrest.

Bill to scrub voter rolls based on jury excuses clears House

Bill pitched as a common sense defense against voter fraud, but Democrats predict it will remove innocent citizens from state's voting rolls.

Travis Fain, WRAL statehouse reporter, & Laura Leslie, WRAL Capitol Bureau chief

Trump discusses census citizenship question

President Donald Trump discusses his plans to include a citizenship question on the 2020 census during a news conference.

Trump continues push to add citizenship question to census

Meanwhile, the White House fights back against those calling conditions at border detention centers horrific and inhumane.

Editorial: July 4 citizenship events show emptiness of Lt. Gov.'s attack on multiculturalism

Friday, July 5, 2019 -- Lt. Gov. Dan Forest wants us to believe the nation is weaker because of differences in background, nation of origin, forms of faith and worship. He is wrong. It is our nation's ability to embrace those differences in a system where allegiance isn't to any individual, claims of divine right, or dictator whose power rests in fear. Citizens don't swear allegiance to a president or any politician. Our allegiance is to the Constitution and the law.

On July 4th, immigrants become new U.S. citizens in Raleigh

Hundreds of people gathered at the state Capitol to take the oath of citizenship on July 4, the day the U.S. celebrates its independence.

Supreme Court Leaves Citizenship Question on Census in Doubt

In a setback for the Trump administration, the Supreme Court on Thursday rejected its stated reason for adding a question on citizenship to the census, leaving in doubt whether the question would appear on the census forms sent to every household in the nation next year.

Adam Liptak, New York Times

SCOTUS considers citizenship question on 2020 census

The U.S. Census comes around every ten years, but Tuesday the Supreme Court is hearing arguments about a question that could appear on the 2020 form: Is this person a citizen of the United States?

Deportation protesters call for dismissal of charges against them, but case simply continued

More than two dozen supporters of a recently deported man called on Wake County prosecutors Monday to dismiss charges against them. But their own lawyer simply asked for their cases to be continued until April.

Sloane Heffernan, WRAL reporter

NC Counts Coalition prepares for 2020 Census

The N.C. Counts Coalition is holding a meeting Friday to prepare for next year's Census, hoping to ensure the state gets a fair amount of federal money and representatives.

Emmy Victor, WRAL reporter

Ahead of 2020 Census, group hopes to ensure everyone is counted

The N.C. Counts Coalition is holding a meeting Friday morning to prepare for the 2020 Census.

MICHELLE ALEXANDER: Who deserve citizenship? None of us

Sunday, Dec. 23, 2018 -- No matter what side of the debate one gravitates toward, we've created a moral quagmire by treating the migration of desperately poor people as a problem that can best be addressed by border walls, tear gas, detention camps, militarized policing and mass deportation -- except, of course, for the relative few, truly "deserving" individuals who may be granted legal citizenship (typically after years of waiting and hundreds or thousands of dollars in attorney's fees) if they can win asylum.

ICE officials detain undocumented man, arrest son

Samuel Oliver-Bruno arrived at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Morrisville on Friday morning for an appointment, joined by his son Daniel Oliver-Perez. Oliver-Perez is accused of assaulting a government official while trying to prevent his father from being detained.

Arrest, scuffle, protests over man's ICE status

More than two dozen people were arrested Friday while protesting the detention of an undocumented man who had been living in a Durham church for 11 months.

Dozens arrested after ICE detains undocumented man living in Durham church for 11 months

Samuel Oliver-Bruno, who has been seeking deferred deportation and living in a Durham church for 11 months, was arrested Friday morning after going to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement appointment. Two dozen of his supporters were also arrested.

Sarah Krueger, WRAL reporter, and Laura Leslie, WRAL capitol bureau chief

Latino advocates scoff at notion people come to US to get citizenship for their children

"They leave their country as a last resort," Eliazar Posada, of El Centro Hispano in Durham, said in reaction to President Trump's call for ending birthright citizenship.

Naturalization ceremony held in downtown Raleigh

Twenty five people took an oath Wednesday in downtown Raleigh to become naturalized citizens of the United States.

25 take oath, become US citizens in ceremony at State Capitol

Twenty five people took an oath Wednesday in downtown Raleigh to become naturalized citizens of the United States. At the North Carolina State Capitol and surrounded by in red, white and blue, the 25 people from 17 different countries took part in the ceremony.

Adam Owens, WRAL reporter

Citizenship census question could affect NC political power, economy

Some North Carolina officials and activists feel that putting a citizenship question on the U.S. census is a big deal that could impact participation.

Trump census question about citizenship could impact NC representation, federal funding, officials say

Some North Carolina officials and activists feel that putting a citizenship question on the U.S. census is a big deal that could impact participation.

Claudia Rupich, WRAL reporter