Immigrant Rights Organizations Honor Citizenship Day, September 17, by Fighting to Include Immigrants and Refugees in Our Social, Economic and Civic Life
WASHINGTON – In honor of National Citizenship Day celebrated September 17, the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) and its members are holding 41 citizenship workshops and events across the nation and are urging Congress to fix problems in the naturalization process that are causing delays and denying access to many eligible residents in our communities.
Despite repeated attacks against U.S. citizenship and the “Second Wall”, immigrant rights organizations are mobilizing those eligible to sign up for citizenship and fighting for their communities to be able to earn better wages, learn English, and strengthen their civic engagement. NPNA needs our elected officials in Washington to join us and fight to protect our democracy.
“For generations the U.S. has welcomed and woven immigrants into the fabric of our nation with positive social, cultural, and economic impact for all. Today, we risk losing what makes us uniquely American because of the toxic rhetoric emanating from the White House. We call on Congress to leave the harmful enforcement policies in the past and lead our nation with solutions-focused measures that promote citizenship and unite our diverse communities,” said Steve Choi, Executive Director, New York Immigration Coalition and NPNA Board Co-Chair. “On Citizenship Day, it is our patriotic duty to defend access to naturalization, which is the key to New Americans’ sense of belonging and success.”
In the United States, nearly 90 million individuals—more than one in 4 people—are of immigrant origin and about half are born here. The degree to which they fully belong to our social, economic and civic life has major implications for the future of our country. Congress must fix the naturalization backlogs and delays and restore and strengthen the citizenship process currently being dismantled by this administration.
Our national leaders must also invest in New Americans’ potential by protecting their due process, providing English and job training programs that meet their needs, and helping to build a welcoming and inclusive nation for those seeking freedom, safety, and a brighter future.
“Congress needs to step in before this administration leaves the naturalization process in ruins,” said Stephanie Teatro, Co-Executive Director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRC), an NPNA member organization. “But U.S. citizenship means more than just a piece of paper. We call on Congress to advance a new vision and set of policies that promote integration and full inclusion of aspiring Americans and their children.”
Citizenship benefits not only immigrants and their families but our communities and nation as well. New citizens experience 8-11% more in personal earnings, spend more, pay higher taxes, buy more homes and help fuel our economy.
On Citizenship Day and throughout September, NPNA members are holding 41 citizenship workshops and events across the nation as part of Cities for Citizenship, a program now in its fifth year that promotes citizenship in cities and other municipalities and helps eligible residents through the process. Read more about Cities for Citizenship and its 5 years of impact here:
For more information on Cities for Citizenship or NPNA’s citizenship and integration advocacy, contact Susana Flores or Fernanda Durand.
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CONTACT: Susana Flores (915) 525 2434 susana@communicationsshop.us
Fernanda Durand (443) 396-3317 fernanda@communicationshop.us