The annual Citizenship Day held by nonprofit Project Citizenship and the City of Boston saw far fewer applicants than last year amid concerns that the Trump administration is barring even eligible immigrants from becoming naturalized.
The 12th Annual Citizenship Day at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury saw 158 aspiring citizens complete their applications. That's exactly half the number from last year, which saw 316 completed applications.
"There have been so many efforts that the administration has taken in the past year to discourage immigration and naturalization in particular," said Gail Breslow, executive director of Project Citizenship. The civics exam, she said, is longer; there are less payment options; and there are new considerations of "good moral character" added to the requirements.
The organization recommends Green Card holders to come to the event with required documents as well as a letter from someone who knows them well — like a landlord, employer, or religious leader — who can attest to their societal contributions.
"There've been so many things that have been thrown up as barriers and obstacles. And we've been seeing that a lot of people have been discouraged," Breslow said.
The decline in applications didn't come as a surprise. The Trump administration put immigration benefits on hold for green card holders originally from 39 countries it considers "high risk," including for naturalization. Since December, green card holders who have passed every step of naturalization have been turned away from oath ceremonies due to their country of origin.
"We're encouraging people to apply so that they will be in the queue, to at least be in that stack that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has building up in its office for review when the time comes," said Breslow.
Organizers considered cancelling this year's event due to the likelihood of fewer people showing up.
"We were checking in with all the fear that was hanging on people's minds about people being at risk for detention, deportation or being targeted," said Monique Tú Nguyen, executive director of the Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement. But, she said, "We realized that we have to do what's right and this has been a tradition in the city for almost for 12 years now."
Lamies Elawad, who is from Sudan, arrived in 2021 from Saudi Arabia with her husband and child on a Diversity Visa (the lottery program that allocates a certain number of green cards to eligible immigrants overseas has since been discontinued). Her U.S.-borne daughter squirmed and asked her mother to play as they waited for a volunteer to review their application.
Elawad, who is an OB-GYN in training, said that the U.S. "is the number-one place for training and doctors."
"For me, becoming a citizen is a dream come true," she said. She hopes to "participate in the country, to vote for the president, for the mayor, to practice [her] rights."
Becoming a U.S. citizen takes years, and requires immigrants to get a Green Card, which is not an option for most immigrants. It also means extensive interviews, background checks, and a test. The naturalization ceremony is the final step to the process, where the oath of allegiance and a citizenship certificate are granted.
To apply, applicants must be at least 18 years old, have lawful permanent residence for five years or three years if married to a U.S. citizen, be able to read, write, and speak basic English, and not have traveled extensively outside the U.S. in the past five years.
The process can cos thousands of dollars in attorney fees, and $760 for the application. On Citizenship Day, hundreds of volunteers, law students, and attorneys help people complete their citizenship applications for free.
An additional group of Green Card holders scheduled later appointments with Project Citizenship to complete their applications, and received referrals for other immigration services.
Ali Hassani, who arrived in the U.S. in 2015, and now has a green card, was at the event with his wife and two U.S.-borne children.
"We're just making the next steps to settle," he said. "It makes a huge difference between having a green card and being a citizen. I guess you hear a lot of stories about people being deported for very simple things," he said.
Hassani said he hoped the process would be smooth. "I really look forward to contribute to this country," he said.
In Boston, one in 10 residents is a naturalized citizen, and about 30,000 residents are eligible for U.S. citizenship. Nearly 24,000 people naturalized in Massachusetts in fiscal 2024, according to USCIS.
Nguyen, from the City of Boston, said that applying for citizenship alone can be isolating.
"What I love about this event [is] it brings a lot of clarity and vision in what this is all about," she said. "We want a lot of people who want to become a part of this country to apply to become citizens. And, people leave here smiling and excited."
Breslow is the descendent of Jewish immigrants escaping the Russian empire during the pogroms of the early 1900s, and of Polish Jews who came after.
"To turn our backs on people like ourselves who deserve the opportunity and the sense of belonging that can get here in this country is hateful," she said.
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