DIVERSE NON-PROFITS ACROSS MARYLAND LAUNCH NATIONAL AMERICORPS INNOVATION TO MOVE IMMIGRANTS INTO CITIZENSHIP

For immediate release Contact: Tania Del Angel, 240-353-2288 tdelangel@casamd.org

WHAT: Press Conference Launching AmeriCorps Project
WHEN: Tuesday, October 27 at 11 a.m.
WHERE: CASA de Maryland Langley Park Center 7978-B New Hampshire Ave, Hyattsville, MD, 20783
WHO: Elected officials including Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown and Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett, representatives from community based organizations and legal permanent residents eligible for citizenship and recently naturalized citizens

Silver Spring, MD – This Tuesday, the New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland will be formally launched to provide critical support for citizenship-eligible immigrants to transition through the legal process and join the American electorate. This innovative AmeriCorps project will provide public education and supportive services including English classes, citizenship preparation courses, and application assistance to thousands of immigrant Marylanders eligible to naturalize. In its first year, the program will place seven AmeriCorps members at a range of organizations throughout the state: Baltimore City Community College (BCCC), Foreign Born Information and Referral Network (FIRN, Inc.), Maryland Vietnamese Mutual Association (MVMA), Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC), Learning Institute for Enrichment & Discovery in Frederick County (L.I.F.E. & Discovery) and CASA de Maryland. “We are proud that Maryland is leading the way in creating an AmeriCorps program that supports immigrants choosing to make the final step to become full Americans,” said Lieutenant Governor Anthony Brown. “Becoming a United States Citizen is a great honor and we want to support our neighbors in making that final leap,” Maryland is a major immigrant destination; one of the top ten states in the country that legal permanent residence (LPRs) move to. Of the approximately 210,000 LPRs in Maryland, an estimated 120,000 are eligible for naturalization today. The benefits of U.S. citizenship are numerous, but many of those eligible never attempt to naturalize. The New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland will address the barriers faced by immigrants through comprehensive and coordinated citizenship promotion. “The New Americans Citizenship Project of Maryland is an excellent example of how the government, non-profit organizations, community colleges and others can work in partnership to support immigrant communities and strengthen our state,” said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett. At Tuesday’s press conference, representatives of the partner organizations, the AmeriCorps members and eligible immigrants will be available for interview.