AILA and Partners Help Thousands Apply for Citizenship Today

50 naturalization clinics in 19 states

WASHINGTON, DC - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) will celebrate its 5th Annual Citizenship Day on Saturday, April 30 by helping more than 2,500 legal permanent residents apply to become US citizens. In partnership with the "ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía!" campaign at more than half of the sites, AILA will hold 50 naturalization clinics in 19 states.

"It is our honor and privilege as immigration attorneys to serve immigrants in their effort to become naturalized citizens of the United States. This day is the best representation of what AILA is about and that's helping people who want to live and thrive in this country to become citizens who share the same rights and responsibilities as all Americans," said AILA President David Leopold.

As a single-day, nationwide event, AILA Citizenship Day provides free or low-cost assistance to eligible legal permanent residents who wish to apply for U.S. citizenship, utilizing partnerships between AILA chapters across the country and grassroots organizations such as the "ya es hora ¡Ciudadanía!" campaign. In 2011, AILA Citizenship Day will celebrate its 5th anniversary on a national scale and its fourth year with the campaign.

AILA's successes are due in large part to the national collaborative relationships that AILA has developed both with community organizations and stakeholders, as well as the USCIS Office of Citizenship. "The work we do together is much greater than the work we do apart," said Susan Timmons, AILA's Pro Bono Manager who coordinates Citizenship Day. "We reach at least a thousand more people with the help of our community partners than we'd be able to independent of them. Together we help hard working residents become citizens of the United States-we help them live their American dream."

"We are grateful to the more than 400 AILA attorneys and nearly 500 non attorneys who donate their time to this important event," said Leopold.

AILA Citizenship Day is an award winning venture, capturing the 2008 Award of Excellence in the Associations Advance America Awards program, a national competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and The Center for Association Leadership.

Citizenship Clinics will be held in Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Washington, DC.

See the full press release here: http://www.aila.org/content/default.aspx?docid=35257

Posted: to Citizenship News on Sat, Apr 30, 2011
Updated: Sat, Apr 30, 2011