John Jay College is proud to host Citizenship Day on Saturday, September 21, where 600 permanent residents will apply for U.S. citizenship with personalized help from CUNY Citizenship Now! staff and volunteers. The first university-based immigration law program in the U.S., CUNY Citizenship Now! provides 15,000 people a year with high-quality and confidential citizenship and immigration law services absolutely free of charge. Details on what will be the largest citizenship event ever held in New York were shared during a recent City University of New York (CUNY) press conference in John Jay’s Moot Court. “At John Jay we have a very proud and long history of supporting immigrant rights,” said Laura Ginns, John Jay Vice President of Public Affairs and Strategic Initiatives during her welcome address. “We recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of our Immigrant Student Success Center, which at the time it was opened, was the first of its kind in the CUNY system and in New York City. It’s designed to provide a welcoming space for immigrant students and to ensure that they have a sense of community, emotional well-being, and empowerment.”
“Helping those from outside the borders of our country become citizens and write their own American success story goes right to the heart of who we are and what we do at CUNY.” —CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez
Ginns then introduced an avid champion for immigrant rights, CUNY Chancellor Félix Matos Rodríguez. “This gathering is a testament to the commitment all of us at CUNY have to our enduring mission of opening the doors of opportunity to people from all backgrounds,” said Chancellor Matos Rodríguez. “It doesn’t matter where you come from or what language you speak. Helping those from outside the borders of our country become citizens and write their own American success story goes right to the heart of who we are and what we do at CUNY.” Adding that today more than a third of CUNY students were born outside the U.S. mainland, the Chancellor noted the important role CUNY plays in helping immigrants achieve the American dream. “The American immigration story is a story not of public burden but of civic contribution. CUNY is a template for that history. I’ve said in the past that CUNY is kind of the Ellis Island of education. Providing a gateway of high-quality, affordable education and upward economic and social mobility that helps lead the way toward citizenship.”
“There are nearly one million New Yorkers who qualify for citizenship and we are thrilled to support efforts to get them through the naturalization process.” —New York Secretary of State Rossana Rosado
Welcoming his friend to the stage, the Chancellor introduced New York Secretary of State, John Jay alumna Rossana Rosado ’19. As a member of the John Jay Foundation, Inc. Board of Trustees, she was instrumental in helping the Immigrant Student Success Center become a reality, and as a Distinguished Lecturer here at the College, she’s helping to teach the next generation of fierce advocates for justice. Rosado spoke of how New York State, which is home to 4.2 million foreign-born individuals, strongly supports immigrant rights, creating the Office for New Americans and collaborating with CUNY Citizenship Now!. “There are nearly one million New Yorkers who qualify for citizenship and we are thrilled to support efforts to get them through the naturalization process,” said Rosado. “We encourage all who are eligible to take advantage of the help available through CUNY and the Office for New Americans and follow a path to citizenship.” Citizenship Day, noted Rosado, “allows us to embrace the diversity in our communities in a spirit of unity, building the strongest state, and country for us all.”
“What you’re going to see on September 21 is hundreds of volunteers helping hundreds of permanent residents complete their application for citizenship, and you’ll see their smiling faces as they walk out.” —Allan Wernick
A devoted advocate for immigrants in the City, Director of CUNY Citizenship Now! Allan Wernick spoke of how proud he is of CUNY and his group of staff and volunteers. “We are upping our game this coming Saturday. We will help more people than ever before. We have more volunteers coming and more attorneys from various organizations,” he said. The anticipated larger turnout is due to an expected increase in application fees and a new fee waiver policy in the future, which would make it harder for citizenship to happen. “It’s going to become a huge complex process with a lot of paperwork and it’s going to discourage a lot of people from applying,” said Wernick, who then encouraged people to apply for citizenship as soon as possible. And, for those who wished to volunteer, Wernick illustrated the joy they would feel at the conclusion of the event. “What you’re going to see on September 21 is hundreds of volunteers helping hundreds of permanent residents complete their application for citizenship, and you’ll see their smiling faces as they walk out.”
“All the help that I got through CUNY Citizenship Now! helped me a lot. And on September 4 I attended the swearing-in ceremony.” —Luzdary Lozano
The personal help CUNY Citizenship Now! offers to those seeking citizenship is essential to making the process as smooth as possible. Luzdary Lozano, just one of the many thousands that have been helped by the program, spoke of how the free service helped her make her American dream come true. An immigrant from Colombia, Lozano came to the U.S. in 2010. After five years in the country she became a permanent resident, and was encouraged by her daughter to apply for citizenship. She went to a CUNY Xpress Immigration Center eight months ago to seek guidance, and in September 2019 was sworn in as a U.S. citizen. “All the help that I got through CUNY Citizenship Now! helped me a lot. And, on September 4 I attended the swearing-in ceremony,” said Lozano. “Today I realize something very important, that education and perseverance are fundamental, as well as having the help of groups like CUNY Citizenship Now!”
More scenes from the event:
