During the past year, the number of immigrants who are legal residents of the U.S. seeking citizenship has increased, in part because of fear in the community sparked by the immigration enforcement policies of President Donald Trump’s administration, local officials say.
Dulce Ortiz, the executive director of Mano a Mano Family Services and a Waukegan Township trustee, said she has seen an increase in people seeking citizenship since just before Trump’s election in November.
Martha Hernandez, the program manager for HACES’ New Americans Initiative, said she has also seen an increase this year. She believes it stems from fear arising from the enforcement actions of the Trump administration.
“People are afraid of being deported (even) with their permanent status,” Hernandez said. “A lot of people who are permanent residents want citizenship because only citizenship works to keep you from getting deported.”
Nearly 600 Lake County residents have taken their oath to become U.S. citizens since the first of the year, in part to gain the rights and protections of citizenship as opposed to legal permanent residents of the country.
Maria Elana Jonas, the executive director of HACES, said the first step toward citizenship is becoming a legal permanent resident of the country, also known as having a Green Card. It allows a person to live and work in the country permanently.
Once someone possesses a Green Card, Jonas said they can apply for citizenship after five years, or 3½ years if they are married to an American citizen. There is a thorough background check. A criminal record can be a disqualifier.
A 30-page application is also required. Jonas said it is very thorough in seeking information like country of origin, marital status, brushes with the law, and more. Eventually, there is an interview and a written test. Both HACES and Mano a Mano offer classes and legal services.
“The list goes on and on,” Jonas said of the application.
So far this year, Jonas said HACES has helped 484 people become citizens. At Mano a Mano, Joanna Jaimes, the program manager, said the organization has shepherded 107 people through the process into citizenship. They either took classes or used the organization’s legal services.
Jaimes said the test was recently changed. Applicants know all the questions — 128 increased from 100 before — but only a few will be on the exam. A 60% score is needed to pass. Until the change, the test had been the same since 2008.
“Before they would ask you 10 questions, and you had to answer six correct,” Jaimes said. “They added 28 questions. Now they ask 20, and you have to answer 12 correct. The issue was transparency. It’s up to us to see how the questions have changed.”
Both Ortiz and Jonas said their classes prepare people to take the test and get through the interview process successfully. A basic knowledge of English is necessary. There is an exception for older people who have been in the country legally long enough.
If someone is 50 years old or older and a lawful permanent resident for 20 years, or 55 years old or older and a lawful permanent resident for 15 years, they take the test in their native language.
Question topics include U.S. history, the Constitution, how many members are in Congress and what kind of government the country has. Jonas said HACES’ volunteer instructors are retired English as a second language teachers.
Going through the official citizenship process is not free. The applicant pays a fee. At Mano a Mano, helping to complete the application, going through the process, including the legal requirements, are all part of the program.
“Our Engaged Citizenship Program helps with the citizenship application,” Ortiz said. “There are scholarships based on income. We do the classes online or in person. They do mock interviews. We want them to become citizens and be able to vote.”
