Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) awarded nearly $10 million in grants to 45 public and private nonprofit organizations across the country to help lawful permanent residents (LPRs) prepare for naturalization. The New Americans Campaign congratulates all those who were selected and is pleased to announce that out of the 45 awardees, 18 of our partners and affiliated organizations were selected. This is a testament to the incredible work our partners and affiliates have been conducting over the years.
This year, the grants will be dispersed to organizations in over 26 states to support citizenship preparation services for lawful permanent residents through September 2019. Since 2009, USCIS has awarded $73 million through 353 competitive grants to public or private nonprofit organizations. Now in its ninth year, the program has helped more than 190,000 lawful permanent residents prepare for citizenship.
The Campaign is thrilled the U.S. government acknowledges the importance of LPRs becoming citizens so they can continue to contribute to this great nation. As a Campaign, we are committed to serving immigrants and demystifying the naturalization process. We know that the biggest challenge LPRs face is a lack of information about the process. These grants provide vital funding so organizations like our Campaign partners can help LPRs navigate the path to citizenship.
As a network, our partners and affiliates throughout the country employ a number of different tactics to simplify the process. We host workshops where volunteers and attorneys assist LPRs in filling out their citizenship application in person and have helped over 300,000 LPRs to date. We also staff hotlines where interested immigrants can call in with any questions about how to apply and where to access help. Furthermore, the campaign provides an online platform, Citizenshipworks, where LPRs can get a head start on their application or fill it out themselves.
Congratulations to these 18 Campaign partners and affiliates receiving funds from this year’s grant program:
- Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles, CA
- Asian Counseling and Referral Service – Seattle, WA
- Asian Services In Action, Inc. – Akron, OH
- BakerRipley – Bellaire, TX
- Catholic Charities of Orange County, Inc. – Santa Ana, CA
- Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Inc. – Atlanta, GA
- Central American Resource Center of California – Los Angeles, CA
- HIAS and Council Migration Service of Philadelphia – Philadelphia, PA
- Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota – St. Paul, MN
- Instituto del Progreso Latino – Chicago, IL
- International Institute of the Bay Area – San Francisco, CA
- International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit – Detroit, MI
- International Rescue Committee, Inc. – San Diego, CA
- Jewish Family Service of San Diego – San Diego, CA
- Latin American Association – Atlanta, GA
- Make the Road New York – New York, NY
- Pars Equality Center – Sherman Oaks, CA
- School Board of Miami-Dade County with Catholic Legal Services, Archdiocese of Miami – Miami, FL
On the heels of national citizenship day, we welcome the opportunity to continue to assist LPRs so they can access the invaluable benefits of becoming a citizen. If you are interested in learning more about the naturalization process, please visit our website to learn about: