[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 55 (Thursday, April 14, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Page S2499]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            CITIZENSHIP NOW!

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, for the past 8 years, Citizenship Now!, a 
project of the City University of New York and the New York Daily News, 
has conducted a citizenship and immigration call-in, which I have 
visited every time it has been held at the News headquarters in 
Manhattan, NY. On Monday, April 25, the ninth call-in begins, and it is 
anticipated that the volunteers who answer the telephone will handle 
the 100,000th call by Friday April 29. That means 100,000 families 
received information to help them get on the path to U.S. citizenship. 
Among the sponsors have been the NYS Bureau of Refugee and Immigrant 
Assistance, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, CUNY Law 
School, Univision, and Radio WADO, with support from Verizon and 
Gristedes.
  At the weeklong call-in, community paralegals, CUNY counselors, 
students, and other volunteers, supervised by experienced citizenship 
and immigration attorneys and Board of Immigration Appeals-accredited 
individuals, answer callers' questions. CUNY trains the volunteers at 
an all-day training conference that precedes the call-in, and all 
volunteers receive a comprehensive training manual. Whenever I visit 
the volunteers, I bring with me an expert staff person from my office 
who handles constituent inquiries from immigrants and their families. 
We fully appreciate the special and unique outreach effort this free 
public service provides.
  The call-in provides an important safeguard weapon against scammers 
engaging in the unlawful practice of law. Callers who qualify for 
naturalization or another immigration benefit are referred to reputable 
non-for-profits. Many are referred to one of CUNY Citizenship Now!'s 
nine citizenship and immigration law service centers where they can get 
free application assistance and advice. The News features the 
photographs and biographies of the volunteers in print and on its Web 
site and runs stories about the people who are being served. When a 
caller wishes to contact a private attorney, she or he is referred to 
the New York City Bar Association referral panel and the American 
Immigration Lawyers Association referral service.
  The CUNY/Daily News Citizenship Now! Project is by far the largest 
university-based immigration service program in the country assisting 
many thousands of individuals with citizenship and immigration law 
services each year, all at no cost to the applicants. This public 
service partnership deserves our recognition and appreciation for the 
superb efforts underway to help people in need. Thank you, CUNY, and 
thank you, New York Daily News.

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