'Americans on Hold': Documentary Project (2008)

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 stories, CHRGJ is producing a documentary film, which will be used as an advocacy tool to raise awareness on the issue.

As the film will show, citizenship delays cause substantial harm, ranging from separation of families to repression of individuals’ personal and religious identities and denial of basic welfare. The film aims to humanize the effects of these policies and to expose the dangers of reactionary measures which are borne out of and institutionalize fear. The film will also demonstrate that these human rights violations are the products of an inefficient and counter-productive system; one that threatens to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of individuals from all communities ahead of the November 2008 elections.

Preview Footage

Increased security checks in the citizenship application process, manifested in a substantial expansion of name check procedures, have illegaly delayed hundreds of thousands of applications, often for years on end. Hear one individual--a remarkable advocate for disability rights who has been living in the United States for fifteen years and waiting to become a U.S. citizen for four years--share his experience and views on the name check process.

Listen to Prakash Khatri, former U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman, Department of Homeland Security, talk about the problems generated by the name check process.

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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.