Americans on Hold Documentary Film and Advocacy Project (2009)

In 2007, CHRGJ released its report Americans on Hold: Profiling, Citizenship, and the “War on Terror,” which documents the impact of citizenship delays on the lives of applicants who are kept in limbo, sometimes for years on end. Inspired by these and other stories in the U.S. immigration context, CHRGJ is currently producing a short documentary film to expose the discriminatory profiling that is at the heart of both citizenship delays and border-crossing detentions and delays. These detentions and delays stem in part from name checks that rely on mismanaged and bloated databases and watch lists in which South Asians, Middle Easterners, Arabs, and Muslims are over-represented due to years of increased discriminatory profiling since the events of September 11, 2001.

At its core, profiling involves discriminating on the basis of a person’s identity—in other words, targeting individuals on the basis of their race, religion, ethnicity, and/or national origin, rather than on the basis of individualized suspicion. Profiling is both inconsistent with democratic values and in violation of fundamental human rights, principally the right to non-discrimination.

To fully capture the scope and impact of this problem, the film turns its lens on several individuals, including those directly affected by these discriminatory policies. Through their stories, the documentary examines how citizenship delays and border-crossing detentions and delays interfere with freedom of movement; freedom of religion, opinion or belief; the ability to work; and the ability to be united with one’s family. The film also explores the inherent affront to one’s sense of dignity and belonging that results from such discriminatory targeting and from having one’s life put “on hold.”

Preview Footage

Federal law requires U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to grant or deny citizenship within 120 days of an applicant’s examination, but increased security checks in the citizenship application process, manifested in a substantial expansion of name-check procedures, have illegally delayed hundreds of thousands of applications, often for years on end.

Hear Zuhair Mahd—a remarkable advocate for disability rights who has been living in the United States for more than 15 years and who fought to become a U.S. citizen for five years—share his experience and views on the name-check process.

Hear Cecillia Wang, Managing Attorney of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project in San Francisco, describe the fear and anxiety that is generated when people who so deeply want to become American citizens are made to wait for years without any explanation. Wang has represented a number of individuals and groups of individuals who have been affected by illegal delays in their naturalization applications.

Americans from South Asian, Middle Eastern, Arab, and Muslim backgrounds have faced discriminatory and even abusive treatment at U.S. borders when returning home. As is the case with naturalization delays, the root cause of this problem stems from racial, ethnic, and national origin profiling and faulty name-check procedures.

Listen to Anila Ali, a teacher, mother, and community organizer, describe the treatment she experiences at the hands of Customs and Border Protection officials every time she comes home, and the impact this treatment has on her family.

Hear Shirin Sinnar, immigrants’ rights advocate and lead author of the report, "Returning Home: How U.S. Government Practices Undermine Civil Rights at Our Nation’s Doorstep," describe the nature of intrusive questioning by Customs and Border Protection agents and its impact on communities as a whole.

Listen to Prakash Khatri, former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, Department of Homeland Security (2003-2008), as he describes the impact that the events of September 11, 2001, had on U.S. immigration policies and his perspective on the need to put an end to the abusive practices that followed.

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Make a Donation

We need your help to complete production and post-production work on the documentary. Production is being handled by the CHRGJ at NYU School of Law alongside WH Media (www.wh-media.com). Help us bring these stories to life and end citizenship delays. Every dollar counts and all donation amounts are welcome. Donors at the following contribution levels will receive credit in the film:

Supporter - $100
Friend - $250
Sponsor - $500
Benefactor - $1,000
Associate Producer - $5,000
Co-Executive Producer - $10,000
Executive Producer - $25,000 or more

Donation Options:

• Online/electronic: You can donate online by clicking here, which will direct you to a secure web page housed by NYU School of Law’s Development Office, which handles all donations to the Center.
  Please note that you should specify “other” when asked to make a designation for the destination of your funds and then in the box provided, fill in 'CHRGJ Documentary', if you want your support to be attached to this particular area of focus
• By Check: Please make your contribution out to the “Center for Human Rights and Global Justice” (please include “documentary project” in the memo line). Checks can be sent to:
  Jeannie Forrest
  New York University School of Law
  Office of Development and Alumni Relations
  161 Avenue of the Americas, 5th Floor
  New York, NY 10013

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.