World | USA 1M New Citizens Break Century Record Fee increase helps immigration service clear huge backlog By Rob Quinn Posted Nov 7, 2008 3:49 AM CST Copied An Immigration and Naturalization service is held at Comerica Park to swear in 100 individuals, including Detroit Tigers' Placido Polanco, as citizens, last summer in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson) Over a million new American citizens took the oath of allegiance last year—the highest number since the government began keeping records a century ago, reports CNN. The number of people going through the naturalization process has been steadily climbing for decades. The clearing of a major 2007 backlog—along with a push by Hispanic media for citizenship for eligible residents—helped boost the numbers. Read These Next No one can fly in or out of El Paso for the next week or so. The world says its final goodbye to Dawson Leery. Nancy Guthrie's camera footage raises an ancillary question: how? Mystery reason behind El Paso airspace shutdown explained. Report an error