Citizenship Clinic Held in NE Portland

Portland, Ore.-- On Saturday, April 28th, Causa, in cooperation with the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Immigration Counseling Services (ICS), held a Citizenship Assistance Clinic at St. Matthews Episcopal Church in NE Portland. The event was for eligible Legal Permanent Residents (“green card” holders) to get connected to information and services they need to successfully pursue citizenship and become active members the community. A total of 38 people were helped on Saturday.

The goal of Causa Citizenship Assistance Clinics is to promote successful immigrant integration by connecting eligible Legal Permanent Residents (“green card” holders) to the information and services they need to successfully pursue citizenship and become active members of our community. The last event was held in Corneilius.

If you think you could benefit from this program, please link here for more information or call toll free 1-855-884-CAUSA (2287). The next Become a Citizen! Citizenship Assistance Day will be held in Salem on June 2nd. For more information, please link here: http://causaoregon.org/how-do-i/become-a-citizen/

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National Partnership for New Americans Helps Train 1,000 Volunteers to Provide Citizenship Services Nationwide

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 22, 2012

Contact:
Eva Millona, Partnership Co-chair, 508-615-7684

National Partnership for New Americans Helps Train 1,000 Volunteers to Provide Citizenship Services Nationwide

There are over 8 million lawful permanent residents (LPRs) across the country eligible to become citizens,  less than 1 million of them naturalize every year. Starting this Saturday, the National Partnership for New Americans will be changing this dynamic by training long-term volunteers nationwide who are committed to transforming lawful permanent residents into active citizens.

Last year, 12 prominent national grassroots, immigrant rights advocacy organizations in partnership joined to create the National Partnership for New Americans in order to promote and support citizenship in partnership with the Open Society Institute. The Partnership is outreaching into new immigrant communities across the country in an effort to promote a more welcoming democracy in which new Americans achieve equal opportunity and are a powerful and organized constituency.

The Partnership is launching its ambitious citizenship program, Become a Citizen Now!, to train over 1,000 Citizenship Coaches leading up to the official launch on Saturday March 24, 2012. These citizenship coaches will build national capacity over the next year to meet the Partnership’s collective goal of naturalizing 3650 citizens, assist almost 13,000 legal permanent residents, and outreach to almost 73,000 people in 2012.

Citizenship Coaches are volunteers who believe that immigration makes America stronger and will donate their skills at citizenship clinics across the country. This Saturday’s nationwide training will enable coaches to help LPR’s throughout the citizenship process, including completing N-400 applications, legal screening, recruiting and coordinating volunteers, and other event logistics.

“The Partnership brings together local energy and volunteer boots on the ground to make a tangible impact nationwide, with real numbers,” said Joshua Hoyt, Co-Chair of the Partnership and Chief Strategic Executive of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. “We have a deep reach into immigrant communities that understands the needs while creating opportunities for them to become citizens and active in their communities.”

The Partnership is also announcing the launch of a new citizenship website in English and Spanish, www.becomeacitizennow.org and www.hazteciudadanoahora.org/, as a tool to assist eligible legal permanent residents to become citizens.

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The National Partnership for New Americans advances the integration and active citizenship of immigrants to achieve a vibrant, just, and welcoming democracy for all.

PARTNERS:
CASA DE MARYLAND
CAUSA
COALITION FOR HUMANE IMMIGRANT RIGHTS OF LOS ANGELES (CHIRLA)
COLORADO IMMIGRANT RIGHTS COALITION (CIRC)
FLORIDA IMMIGRANT COALITION (FLIC)
ILLINOIS COALITION FOR IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS (ICIRR)
MASSACHUSETTS IMMIGRANT AND REUFGEE ADVOCACY COALITION (MIRA)
NATIONAL KOREAN AMERICAN SERVICE & EDUCATION CONSORTIUM (NAKASEC)
NEW YORK IMMIGRATION COALITION (NYIC)
ONEAMERICA
TENNESSEE IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS COALITION (TIRRC)
VOCES DE LA FRONTERA

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Individuals Get Assistance with Citizenship Applications in Cornelius

Cornelius, Ore. -- Last Saturday, people gathered in Cornelius at the United Methodist Church to get help filling out their applications for United States Citizenship.  The Citizenship Assistance event was organized by Causa in coordination with SOAR Immigration Legal Services-- a branch of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO), Immigration Counseling Services (ICS), Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA).

During the event, 31 eligible permanent residents (LPRs) received assistance with their N-400 applications by 27 volunteers from Causa, SOAR Legal Services and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The volunteer group consisted of immigration attorneys, law students, leadership class participants, and general volunteers.

This Saturday, similar events are taking place in California, Washington, Colorado, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Florida, New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts with the support of the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA). NPNA represents the eleven largest immigrant rights coalitions and organizations working on immigrant integration in the United States.

“I’m grateful for the enthusiasm, dedication and passion that the group of volunteers showed on Saturday", said Luis Guerra, Citizenship Assistance Coordinator with Causa. “Although the process took some time, the 31 people that came for assistance left with smiles on their faces and were grateful for the help that they received”.

Guerra added, “The organizations involved in this campaign are excited to continue these events around Oregon and are dedicated to streamlining the process to be able to serve more people needing assistance with their N-400 applications.”

The goal of Causa’s Citizenship Program is to assist 125 eligible Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) with legal review of their N-400 application and provide general citizenship outreach to 4,000 eligible LPR's across the State of Oregon. Once an individual becomes a Citizen of the United States, they are eligible to fully participate in the communities they live. They will be able to serve on juries, vote in elections, run for public office, have the ability to be involved in government decisions, and be able to sponsor family members to immigrate to the United States, just to name a few.

The next Citizenship Assistance events in Oregon will take place in NE Portland and Salem on April 28th and June 2nd:

NE Portland
April 28th, 10 AM
St. Matthews Episcopal Church
11229 NE Prescott St.
Portland, Oregon

Salem
June 2nd, 10 AM
First Congregational
United Church of Christ
700 Marion St. NE
Salem, Oregon

For more information about Causa's Citizenship Program, please contact program coordinator Luis Guerra at luis(at)causaoregon.org or at Causa's hotline at: 855-884-2287

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Causa, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Organization, is the largest Latino and Latina civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. For more information, visit http://www.causaoregon.org/

Resources:
Photos from Cornelius Citizenship Day

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Citizenship Assistance Event to be held in Cornelius this Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2012

CONTACT:
Francisco Lopez, Executive Director, (503) 269-5694
Erik Sorensen, Communications Director, (503) 488-0263

Citizenship Assistance Event to be held in Cornelius this Saturday

Salem, Ore.-- This Saturday, Causa Oregon will hold it's first in a series of Citizenship Assistance Events with the experience and support of local partners and the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA). The event is part of a national Citizenship Campaign.

Similar efforts are taking place in California, Washington, Colorado, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Florida, New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Massachusetts. NPNA represents the eleven largest immigrant rights coalitions and organizations working on immigrant integration in the US.

Causa is taking action to help Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) in Oregon because as a Naturalized Citizen, individuals will be able to vote in elections, serve on juries, be elected to public office, have the ability to be involved in government decisions, and have ability to sponsor family members to immigrate to the United States, just to name a few.

With the new Citizenship Program, Causa aims to assist 125 eligible Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs) with legal review of their N-400 application and provide general citizenship outreach to 4,000 eligible LPR's across the State of Oregon.
To maximize our outreach efforts, Causa is partnering with community organizations and local ethnic media. Local legal service providers will also provide technical assistance and legal overview for group processing events.

There are three (3) upcoming events in Oregon that Causa is coordinating with SOAR Immigration Legal Services-- a branch of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (EMO), Immigration Counseling Services (ICS) and the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA). They are as follows:

Cornelius
March 17th, 10 AM
United Methodist Church
1095 South Beech St.
Cornelius, Oregon

NE Portland
April 28th, 10 AM
St. Matthews Episcopal Church
11229 NE Prescott St.
Portland, Oregon

Salem
June 2nd, 10 AM
First Congregational
United Church of Christ
700 Marion St. NE
Salem, Oregon

For more questions about Causa's Citizenship Program, please contact program coordinator Luis Guerra at luis(at)causaoregon.org or at Causa's hotline at: 855-884-2287

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Causa, Oregon's Immigrant Rights Organization, is the largest Latino and Latina civil and human rights and advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest. We work to defend and advance immigrant rights through coordination with local, state, and national coalitions and allies. For more information, visit http://www.causaoregon.org/

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