Daisy Garcia Montoya
Daisy Garcia Montoya
Education Reporter
Community members gathered at the Guadalupe Centers Elementary School auditorium (5123 E. Truman Road) on Saturday, Sept. 13, where a free citizenship clinic — staffed by volunteer attorneys — hosted by Guadalupe Centers assisted individuals in filling out the application necessary in their journey to becoming United States citizens.
This clinic held two sessions for individuals with the first one taking place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. rolled out a larger turnout than expected, welcoming organizers with a line before the doors opened.
The room, loud and filled, saw nearly 100 individuals waiting for their turn to speak with attorneys — free of charge — to fill out the USCIS N-400, Application for Naturalization. Individuals who attended the clinic were welcomed with handouts that included information on the immigration application, an intake form to ensure the individual was eligible for the N-400 and a notice that explained the limits of the legal advice that they would be receiving.
Immigrants from various backgrounds filled the room, with a multitude of languages represented such as Swahili, Burmese, Spanish and English.
Guadalupe Centers Director of Family Support Christina Jasso shared that although the Citizenship Clinic is hosted annually around national Citizenship Day — tracing back to when the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program was created in 2012 — this year’s turnout was overwhelming and much larger than the organization expected.
Still, in the weeks leading up to the event, there was a significant social media response with many shares made on various platforms and calls with questions and details on the event.
“There is an uncertainty, especially with rapid changes that are coming down on the naturalization process so there is a sense of urgency,” Jasso said. “This event is about creating access. If you don’t have access to free legal services and interpreters, and somebody from the library that can tell you about classes on basic English and tell you about the citizenship test, how will people do it?”
Jasso said that although they had two sessions planned, depending on the turn out, a future session may be created to fulfill the need in the community.
During the application process, attorneys and paralegals helped fill out the citizenship applications, as attorneys reviewed them to ensure accuracy. Once the application is sent off, which must be completed by the individual on their own, it can take up to six to eight weeks for the interview and Naturalization ceremony to take place. In addition to the money saved by the free legal assistance, eligible applicants based on financial guidelines like income or government benefits like food stamps, are able to receive a fee waiver for the N-400, saving hundreds.
Jasso shared that the event would not be possible without the established trust between the community and all the partnerships they have with lawyers and organizations throughout the community.
The Kansas City Public Library was also present at this event providing information about different programming available for the community. Among options offered included English classes for individuals with basic or proficient level of understanding as well as Refugee & Immigrant Resources and Empowerment (RISE) services, which provide immigrants with assistance to prepare for the citizenship test, improve their English and financial literacy.
And having an opportunity to have access to lawyers at no cost has lifted some of the financial burden for individuals, said RISE Outreach Manager, Julie Robinson.
Robinson, who has participated in this event for years, said , “I may never see these people again but then I will get another set of 100 applicants and watch them take the Naturalization Oath, so I get to them all from the time they apply, start to learn and reach the end goal and it’s an enjoyable experience.”
“If anyone ever needs help or needs assistance, we are here to support and we encourage them to reach out if they have any questions. We want to continue to hear about their needs and what we can do to help,” Jasso said.
For more information on services offered and future events hosted by Guadalupe Centers, visit: https://guadalupecenters.org/.
Dorri Partain
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