A coalition of advocacy groups in Illinois is urging immigrants to apply for US citizenship now that state legislature has restored funding for the necessary services. The New Americans Campaign, a nationwide campaign that has run for six years, is behind the effort.
The campaign has already resulted in an increase of applications for US citizenship over the last two years. A photo ID is a replacement for the old green card for lawful permanent residents and must be renewed 10 years after the date of its issue. There are as many as 50 immigrant groups in the coalition, representing African, Arab, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, and Polish communities. They met in the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights headquarters in Chicago, which offers information on policies for refugees and immigrants.
There are estimated to be 1.8 million immigrants living in the state of Illinois – around 14 percent of the population. In Chicago alone, there are as many as 385,000 lawful permanent residents eligible for naturalization, with approximately 525,000 in the whole state. Barriers to legal immigration can include difficulty with the English language, according to speakers, although immigrants who have lived in the US for more than 20 years and are over 50 years of age are exempt from this requirement.
Immigrants over 55, who have lived in the country longer than 15 years and already hold green cards are also exempt. Coalition members hold English classes to help improve language skills for others.