While many immigration legal services providers would like to devote more resources to naturalization efforts, these services are often over shadowed by other more urgent issues. Thankfully, organizations like Citizenship Project are here to fill the void.
This CLINIC affiliate is one of the few organizations whose sole focus is promoting citizenship and providing free naturalization services. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, it was first launched in 2001 as a partnership between the Episcopal Diocese of Nevada and the Culinary Union Local 226 with the goal of helping casino workers and other lawful permanent residents, or LPRs, with the citizenship process.
Although the organization is small with only three full-time staff members, it helps nearly 1,000 LPRs submit N-400 applications each year. Citizenship Project uses the workshop model to deliver high-quality naturalization services. It coordinates and conducts workshops in partnership with organizations and immigration legal services providers around Las Vegas, such as the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Nevada chapter, Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, the Clark County School District and the Nevada Immigrant Coalition. Support varies from providing volunteer legal services providers to contributing funding. Some even complete outreach in the community to help people get registered for the events.
Since it opened its doors, Citizenship Project has completed more than 15,000 applications and saved its applicants more than $2 million through fee waivers. Last year, Citizenship Project expanded its naturalization work by joining the New Americans Campaign in its ongoing effort to provide application assistance, outreach and information on the naturalization process and its benefits.
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Citizenship is one of the most important parts of our democracy and obtaining citizenship opens the door to democratic participation. Promoting naturalization is essential to protecting the democratic process and it allows us to have a conversation about how important immigrants are to [the United States.]
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How is Citizenship Project working to help encourage more people to apply for citizenship and in advance of the 2020 elections?
Citizenship Project has continued to solidify community partnerships and hosts citizenship fairs every quarter. We are also making concerted effort to follow up with people who have already applied and to see if they have family member that might now be eligible.
https://cliniclegal.org/news/natural...roject-working (Catholic "charity" group)