New Americans Campaign Issues
State Government Guide to Promoting U.S. Citizenship and Facilitating Naturalization
The U.S. is home to 9 million permanent residents eligible to naturalize. This November 2020 State Government Guide presents the economic, legislative, and personal benefits of naturalization for aspiring citizens and the communities in which they live. It offers five ideas for state governments to promote and facilitate naturalization, with a Model Law companion option.
Naturalization and the Right to Vote
A 2020 report by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center and Boundless Immigration examines Denying the Right to Vote: Politicization of the Naturalization Process as a Novel Form of Voter Suppression.
Model Law Providing Funding for Naturalization Services
This Model Law was produced in 2020 by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center for the New Americans Campaign. It is designed to help lawmakers, policymakers, and advocates at the state and local levels who wish to create or strengthen laws to provide access to immigration legal services including naturalization.
2020 Naturalization Fee Increases in Context
On November 14, 2019, the Department of Homeland Security published a proposed rule increasing the filing fees on many immigration applications and increasing the naturalization application fee to $1,170, eliminating fee waivers for naturalization and most other immigration benefits (I-912), and eliminating the reduced fee request option for naturalization (I-942). The final rule was published on August 3, 2020 and scheduled to go into effect on October 2, 2020, but it was halted by litigation. Download ILRC’s comment on the fee rule. Read more on AILA’s webpage dedicated to changes to the USCIS fee schedule. Below are two infographics putting naturalization fees in context.
New Americans Campaign Case Studies
Supporting Citizenship: An Opportunity for State and Local Governments
Many lawful permanent residents who hope to become citizens face obstacles including financial barriers, language barriers, the need for affordable legal help, and an overwhelming lack of knowledge about the naturalization process. This policy primer enumerates a number of ways that city, county, and state governments can support naturalization in their communities.
A Case Study in Innovative Partnerships: How Human Services Agencies Can Help Increase Access to U.S. Citizenship
by Marion Coddou, Ph.D., Stanford University
Partnerships with local government can generate significant increases in the number of eligible lawful permanent residents (LPRs) who apply to become U.S. citizens. This case study of the New Americans Campaign’s unique partnership with human services agencies in three San Francisco Bay Area counties provides a roadmap for similar partnerships nationwide.
Research on the Benefits of and Overcoming the Barriers to Naturalization
Learn about recent research on the benefits and value of U.S. citizenship and overcoming access barriers.
Success Stories
Across the country the New Americans Campaign and its network of partners are helping citizenship-eligible lawful permanent residents achieve their dreams of becoming American citizens. Read some of their stories.
Read and Download Independent Evaluation Reports About the New Americans Campaign
Lawful Permanent Residents in the U.S.
Review data about and explore the map of citizenship-eligible residents in the U.S.
USCIS Tools
Visit the Citizenship Resource Center on the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website.