White House launches citizenship awareness campaign

Today, the White House Task Force on New Americans launched the “Stand Stronger” Citizenship Awareness Campaign to raise awareness about the rights, responsibilities, and importance of U.S. citizenship and to provide more information on the naturalization process.

On Twitter the White House said that 8.8 million lawful permanent residents living in America are eligible to apply for citizenship.

The Task Force called on all local communities to join the Building Welcoming Communities Campaign and commit to making their hometowns a place that welcomes all residents can thrive.

Created as part of the President’s immigration executive actions, the Task Force is charged with strengthening the Federal government’s immigrant and refugee integration efforts. The Task Force has reached out to communities around the country to learn about what they are doing to advance immigrant integration efforts.

So far 40 communities have signed on to the join the campaign: Allegheny County, PA; Decatur, GA; Oakley, CA; Atlanta, GA; Denver, CO; Philadelphia, PA; Austin, TX; Detroit, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; Baltimore, MD; Dodge City, KS; San Jose, CA; Boise, ID; Grand Forks, ND; Santa Fe, CA; Boston, MA; High Point, NC; Schuyler, NE; Buffalo, NY; Houston, TX; Seattle, WA; Charlotte, NC; Lincoln, NE; St. Louis, MO; Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; St. Louis County, MO; City and County of San Francisco, CA; Louisville, KY; Sterling Heights, MI; Clinton Township, MI; Macomb County, MI; Toledo-Lucas County, OH; Columbus, OH; Montgomery County, MD; York, PA; Crete, NY Nashville, TN and Dayton, OH.

Communities will also be assisted through a new public-private partnership which will offer technical assistance and support from non-governmental partners led by Welcoming America, a national organization dedicated to transforming communities into more welcoming places.

The Task Force will also support the campaign by working with participating communities. Examples of locally driven efforts can include:

1. Coordinating with local officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to increase awareness of citizenship and the naturalization process. USCIS offers a variety of free resources through the Citizenship Resource Center to support communities interested in strengthening pathways to naturalization and civic engagement.
2. Partnering with local Chambers of Commerce and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support immigrant entrepreneurship by providing information about Small Business Administration tools and resources through workshops, roundtables, and other events.
3. Creating welcoming schools by working with the Department of Education to learn about best practices and tap into programs that support parent engagement and family literacy opportunities.

To learn more about the campaign, including how to sign up, click here.