How do you know it takes a decade?
Have you tried it yourself?
I haven't tried it but my stepdad has. He soon after got a job opportunity in the US, and got married with me mum (duh) about 3 years after he immigrated. He still had some paperwork to read, sign, and work through as well as some more stuff that takes quite a long time. He wouldn't tell me the specifics but all in all its a long process.
You may be thinking, "Why the forget did he want to live in America? Wasn't his country just as fine?" Well, from snippets of what I've heard, his family was caught up in some kind of war/civil conflict and the land he lived in was generally a dangerous place for him.
Now, I personally think that it should take several years to become a citizen. I also support tighter patrol around the borders, but if someone in your family was caught up in immigration it makes you think.