In order to become a U.S. citizen, one has to complete the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Form N-400.
How long do you think it has been since someone answered “yes” to question 12(c) in part 10(b):
Between March 23, 1933, and May 8, 1945, did you work for or associate in any way (either directly or indirectly) with any German, Nazi, or S.S. military unit, paramilitary unit, self-defense unit, vigilante unit, citizen unit, police unit, government agency or office, extermination camp, concentration camp, prisoner of war camp, prison, labor camp, or transit camp?
I also wonder what kind of person answers “yes” to this question:
Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with a terrorist organization?
I’m surprised we still bother to ask this question:
Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with The Communist Party?
There are some trickier questions, though, like this one for instance:
Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?
Not many people can truthfully answer “no” to that last question, but I presume everyone does anyway.
Is there any point to asking questions when you know that people will never give a “yes” answer?
It turns out that there actually is a point to such questions. U.S. law enforcement can use demonstrably false answers against individuals to prosecute or deport them. Indeed, some officers I was speaking with the other day said they wished there were more questions on terrorist activities on the N-400.
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If you’re from a communist country, you sort of HAVE to answer “yes” to whether you were associated with the Communist party. You undoubtedly had friends, neighbors, or family in it.
One is reminded of the story of the Italian anarchist who on trying in immigrate in the 1920s when asked to answer the question:
“Do you advocate the overthrow of United States by force or violence?”
Circled “force”.
Once when I joined a local rod and gun club, I was asked if I belonged to any organizations that advocated the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.
“Well no, not the violent overthrow…”
When my parents were becoming US citizens in 2001, they ordered some prep books for the test and interview. Most of the books available were obviously written for non-native English speakers (we moved from England, so these were not necessary) and I remember one in particularly which had example interview questions and answers.
For the question, “Have you ever been a member of or in any way associated (either directly or indirectly) with The Communist Party?”, the sample answer was “Yes, in the 1970s, but I never went to the meetings.”
I always wondered how many people who struggled with English repeated this answer back at the interview, despite never being involved in the Communist Party or really knowing what they were admitting to.
I would prefer some level of obfuscation
“Have you not not been arrested?”
Ha ha ha. I remember when I got my visa to England I had to fill out a U.S. form that asked me some of the questions above, as well as one that asked if I had ever been assiciated with “crimes of genocide or crimes against humanity.”
For question 22a on that form, does that include time spent in college?
So if you say No to having committed any crime or offense and not being arrested, can you be deported for having jaywalked?