I had the pleasure to volunteer my time and service at the Citizenship Day event in Yakima, Washington where I helped permanent residents review their eligibility and prepare forms for naturalization applications.  Started by an American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) colleague back in 2004 or so, the program has become a national one in many AILA chapters.  Around 2009 or 2010, I had the good fortune as chair of the AILA Washington Citizenship Day Committee to form a partnership with OneAmerica that enabled us to expand the number of days and sites in Washington where attorneys provide free legal services in communities where permanent residents might otherwise not have access to counsel.  At the Yakima site this weekend, 100 people showed up, way more than we had capacity to handle.  We had a great turnout of volunteer attorneys, translators, paralegals and other helpers.  OneAmerica has quite a well-oiled logistical machine going nowadays, which makes them a terrific partner. It takes a lot of people to put on these events. And, OneAmerica has a website, Washington New Americans, for individuals interested in needing services or who want to volunteer. OneAmerica also provides new citizen integration initiatives.

Many of the people in Yakima are farm workers who obtained legalization in the ’80s and ’90s.  One thing I noticed is that many of the applicants had sustained injuries while working in the fields and had been severely disabled for many years.  It reminds me to give thanks to the people who grow and pick our vegetables and fruit, or who work in the poultry, fish and meat packing industries.

Every now and then there is some excitement when we find someone who is a “needle in a haystack” – a US citizen who doesn’t know he or she is a US citizen already, or who thinks he or she is a citizen, but hasn’t taken steps to prove it. These individuals can just go directly to the US passport office and/or apply for a certificate of citizenship rather than go through the naturalization process.

The naturalization application is now a daunting 21-page ordeal with lots of nit-picky questions.  It is really important to make sure the clients know what they are answering, to help them with particular issues, and to make sure they obtained all prior visas and green cards lawfully.  Because these workshops primarily serve low income individuals, many need help with fee waiver applications as well.

Looking forward to the next event!