IMMIGRATION + CITIZENSHIP
Pathways to Citizenship + Family Unity
The Immigration Project provides extensive community education and outreach, advocacy, training, legal and technical assistance in the more marginalized immigrant communities throughout rural California. CRLAF's Immigration + Immigrant Integration Project focuses on providing outreach and information on the naturalization process, the effects of the DHS's "Secure Communities" program on immigrants, the immigration consequences of criminal convictions, and immigration relief and benefits. Attorneys provide training to community advocates on immigration and naturalization law and direct assistance to immigrant communities with applying for citizenship, VAWA, T visas, U visas, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and relief for unaccompanied minors (asylum and SIJS).
Since 1993, in collaboration with our partner organizations, CRLAF has provided information on the naturalization process and changes in welfare and immigration laws to more than 38,000 immigrants, trained close to 2400 community volunteers, assisted approximately 33,060 lawful permanent residents with completing the naturalization application, tested 18,265 applicants on citizenship skills, performed 3306 mock naturalization interviews, conducted 1984 follow up interviews for applicants with complicated naturalization cases and represented 993 applicants in their naturalization interviews in the Central Valley.
Since 2012, CRLAF has conducted outreach on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and the rights of undocumented parents to appoint a trusted family member as legal guardian of their U.S. citizen children in the event the parents are apprehended by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE). In collaboration with our partners, we have been able to provide informational services on DACA, VAWA, and U Visas to more than 5,000 immigrants and have assisted more than 350 childhood arrivals to apply for DACA.
We also represent Undocumented Unaccompanied Minors in their applications for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, Asylum, and other forms of immigration relief. We regularly conduct community “Know Your Rights” presentations to increase capacity and leadership in our communities so that immigrants can make informed decisions about benefits they apply for and also protect themselves from immigration consultant fraud.
CRLAF’s Immigration + Immigrant Integration Project provides informational services, high quality legal assistance, advocacy support, and community capacity building to provide immigrants the opportunity to be a part of the decision making process that affects their families and community.
To reach the immigration unit, please call (916) 446-7901.