Invest in the Future, Invest in Citizenship Day

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Nearly 250 people came out on Saturday, Feb. 6, to take the next step to become a U.S. citizen at Washington New Americans Citizenship Day. The day, a partnership between Washington New Americans and the American Immigration Lawyer's Association, marked the first Citizenship Day of the year, taking place in four locations (Aberdeen, Lacey, Mount Vernon, and Tacoma).

The event, administered by OneAmerica through Washington New Americans, gave legal permanent residents access to immigration attorneys, paralegals and interpreters to help prepare their naturalization applications free of charge – an invaluable opportunity for those who can’t otherwise afford such services. Basic consultations with attorneys that simply determine one’s eligibility for citizenship can range from a couple hundred dollars to well over a thousand, an investment that’s especially difficult to pay for during the recession.

Citizenship is a goal for many non-citizens because of the benefits and opportunities that come with it - gaining the right to vote, family reunification, an increase in job opportunities and better job security to name a few. Investing in citizenship needs to be a goal the State as an investment in Washington's economic future to create more stable, engaged, and integrated communities that bolster the State's economy and tax base. Unfortunately, the WNA Program faces elimination in the budget proposed by Governor Gregoire, despite its success and the demand from over 160,000 “green card” holders across the state.

After spending the day having her application reviewed, Carmen, a mother from Yelm, said of the WNA Program, “It’s important because people like me that are low-income, sometimes we need some kind of help and this was great because I didn’t have to pay and everything was done for me.”

The next Citizenship Day is scheduled for April 17th in Tukwila, Vancouver, Wenatchee and Yakima. Let’s hope it’s not the last.