More than 30 immigrants came to St. Bernadette Church in Springfield Sept. 22, eager to take part in Catholic Charities’ naturalization workshop. The event provided eligible green card holders with legal guidance and assistance in completing the naturalization application for U.S. citizenship.
Staff from Catholic Charities Hogar Immigrant Services — Legal, as well as 20 volunteer immigration attorneys and paralegals, provided consultation, eligibility screening, application preparation, mailing and other practical assistance to migrants from Europe, Africa, Asia and North, Central and South America who want to become U.S. citizens.
Carola Cintron Arroyo, a pro bono coordinating attorney for Catholic Charities, called the workshop a “great success. We worked with multiple community partners and volunteers to help those in most need accomplish a long-time dream.”
There are many reasons lawful permanent residents seek naturalization, said Stacy Jones, Catholic Charities program director for Hogar. “Many clients report a desire to qualify for better employment opportunities, have an increased ability to travel abroad, and just a general desire to be seen as ‘American,’ ” she said.
One client, a woman who received asylum from El Salvador, and who later worked with Catholic Charities to obtain her green card, desperately wanted to return to El Salvador to see her sick aunt before she dies. But as an asylee, she cannot return for fear of losing her legal status in the U.S., said Arroyo. She is married, with two young children who are U.S. citizens.
“As a U.S. citizen, she’ll be able to travel more freely, without the same potentially negative consequences,” Arroyo said.
The workshop was part of Catholic Charities’ annual National Migration Week activities and recognized the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s “Citizenship Day.”
“It is a blessing to be able to accompany newcomers, whether we are meeting them for the first time at the airport upon their arrival or helping them take the final step to full citizenship,” said Stephen Carattini, president and CEO of diocesan Catholic Charities. “When they have completed this step, and been awarded citizenship, they will have all the rights and responsibilities of American citizens, including the right to vote and participate in how they and their communities are governed. In this way, Catholic Charities is part of their integration into their newly adopted homeland.”
Attendees were surprised to learn that, because of the Citizenship Day celebration, they would not have to pay a fee. Catholic Charities clients typically pay $135 for the workshop, which includes an eligibility screening with Hogar staff and application completion. Private attorneys often charge several thousand dollars for naturalization cases. No matter who assists with legal services, clients must pay the federal government a $725 application fee.
There are 9.2 million immigrants in the United States who are eligible for U.S citizenship, but fewer than one million typically apply in any given year, according to the New Americans Campaign, a nonpartisan network of immigration organizations, of which Catholic Charities is a member. Barriers to naturalization include high application fees, civics and English testing requirements, as well as finding affordable legal assistance.
Find out more
Diocesan Catholic Charities holds approximately 10 low-cost application workshops annually. Future naturalization workshops are scheduled for Oct. 21 at Nativity Catholic Church in Burke, and Nov. 18 at St. John the Beloved Church in McLean. Applicants must pre-register and arrive between 10 a.m. and noon to receive assistance. Visit ccda.net to learn more.
