A Safe Path to Citizenship – The Time Is Now! Hosted by Houston Community Media

Hosted at the Southern News Group on May 8, 2025, the Houston Community Media convened a coalition of immigrant advocates, legal experts, and grassroots organizers for an in-depth discussion on how to increase naturalization rates in Greater Houston. The briefing highlighted legal resources, language access, community navigators, financial support, and mental health outreach for over 360,000 lawful permanent residents eligible for citizenship. Speakers emphasized a community-first approach and urged collective action to remove barriers and empower immigrants.

A group of distinguished speakers gave a wider perspective on what organizations are doing to support those who are seeking citizenship, including the challenges in their journey.

KaNeesha Allen from Dalberg Design stated that their organization is working to support over 400 eligible individuals in the next six months with other partner organizations. She said that “Naturalization leads to broader community benefits—civic engagement, workforce participation, and income stability.”

Austra Zapata from the Harris County Naturalization Program shared her immigration journey from Honduras and described how Harris County supports residents through free legal and ESL services. At this time, she said that “Despite the national immigration climate, Harris County is seeing a positive trend—more residents are applying. From January to March 2025, we’ve screened over 2,000 people and legally represented 1,400 applicants—all at no cost.”

Angie Dupree from National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA), spotlighted the community navigator model as a culturally rooted outreach strategy. She said that “Many people don’t realize they may be exempt from the English requirement—just based on age and length of residency.”

Zenobia Lai from Houston Immigration Legal Services Collaborative delivered sharp insight on policy language, legal risks, and financial aid. She said that “I don’t use the word ‘naturalization’—it reinforces the idea that immigrants are alien or other. The $760 application fee is a significant burden; our ‘Give Citizenship a Boost’ fund helps cover it for low-income applicants.”

Lai described Houston’s immigration support landscape as an interconnected web of services: “We call it an ecosystem of serving organizations in the Houston area—half of them are service providers and also law school immigration technical programs. The others are partners who provide social services, healthcare, advocacy, and organizing for immigrants in Greater Houston.”

Luis Garcia-Alvarez, who is with the System for Education Empowerment Success (SEES) shared a heartfelt story of his own journey and now serves immigrant communities through support circles and one-on-one navigation. He said that “Some hesitate because they don’t want to betray their country, or they still think they may return home. Our circles take participants from A to Z, helping them gain confidence, complete the application, and prepare for interviews.”

Alice Min from WooriJuntos described targeted outreach to Korean and Latino elders, especially those with limited literacy. She said that “We train bilingual navigators fluent in Korean and Spanish to meet community members where they are. Some are non-literate in any language. Our classes build confidence and focus on understanding, not memorization. We even provide transportation and interpretation at interviews—because accessibility matters.”

Dedre Smith from Literacy Council of Fort Bend County recalled that they had 13

graduated 13 U.S. citizens last year—some of whom were nervous and afraid during mock trials. She said that “It brings me joy when they come in and say, ‘I passed the exam!’”

Jannette Diep from Boat People SOS Houston spoke about serving overlooked communities like the Portuguese fishing community in the Gulf Coast. She said that “People don’t realize the dream card isn’t the final step—citizenship is. Some pay thousands to fraudulent attorneys and get denied. They didn’t know free legal help was available.”

Guest Michael Treviño brought the briefing full circle with a passionate reminder of civic duty. He said that “This is not the time to be a bystander—move out of the way. Be an upstander. Immigrants contribute to our economy, our hospitals, and our communities. They deserve recognition. If you attend a naturalization ceremony, talk about it—your story might inspire someone to take that final step.”

One of the questions raised during the briefing was on the Mental Health Support in the Citizenship Journey. A student in the audience asked about how anxiety, name changes, and mental health concerns are addressed during naturalization. Speakers responded with compassion and clarity.

Alice Min from WooriJuntos reponded, “Many older clients feel overwhelmed or anxious. We focus on confidence-building as much as civics education.”

Austra Zapata from Harris County said that “If someone needs help beyond legal aid, our social services coordinator connects them to mental health or other resources during the intake process.”

Their responses underscored that immigration isn’t just legal—it’s emotional. Programs are now evolving to treat the whole person, not just the paperwork.