Citizenship Now! is a community-based program to help eligible Santa Fe residents become U.S. citizens. It is a partnership between the City of Santa Fe, Somos Un Pueblo Unido, Guadalupe Credit Union (GCU), Adelante, Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe, Northern New Mexico Central Labor Council, Santa Fe Area Homebuilders Association, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, the Santa Fe Public Library, and the National Partnership for New Americans.

There are approximately 4,000 legal permanent residents that are eligible to become U.S. citizens in Santa Fe County, according to the University of Southern California's Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. Census data also shows that naturalized citizens are 30% more likely to be homeowners than non-citizens, have higher incomes and spending power, and generate more taxes.

The program is funded by National Partnership for New Americans and local Santa Fe donors.

2019 program highlights:

• To date, 150 people have signed up for our citizenship program and are on the path to become citizens as part of six cohorts. Five have completed the entire process and have taken the oath.
• Somos and its local partners have held six naturalization forums in Santa Fe and ten follow-up clinics.
• Civic engagement: approximately 50 applicants have so far participated in Somos’ legislative, GOTV (get out the vote) and citizenship campaigns—phone banking, attending hearings, door knocking, community forums, and participating in Immigrant and Worker’s Day of Action on January 28th, 2019.
•  We reached seven community organizational partners: Guadalupe Credit Union (GCU), Adelante, Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe, Northern New Mexico Central Labor Council, Santa Fe Area Homebuilders Association, New Mexico Immigrant Law Center, and the Santa Fe Public Library.
• Guadalupe Credit Union created a new low-interest loan to help participants cover their USCIS citizenship application fees.
• Literacy Volunteers of Santa Fe are conducting exam and interview preparation for 35 participants and created a new program just for Citizenship Now! to provide tutoring in Spanish for older applicants who are eligible to do interview in their native language.
• Somos trained 220 staff members of our community partners on Citizenship Now! and the naturalization requirements.
• This fall, the Santa Fe Public Library will add Citizenship & Census Corners at every public library.
• 65 participants took part in Somos’ civic engagement activities in 2019 including legislative advocacy and in Viva el Voto Santa Fe, a get-out-the-vote program during the local municipal election. Members reached out to 3,200 low-propensity voters through phone banking and door knocking in Santa Fe. They are now knocking on the doors of 5,800 residents in City Council District 3’s high priority Census tracts with accurate information about the 2020 Census.

If you are a legal permanent resident, would like to become a U.S. citizen and join our campaign, please call us at (505) 424-7832.