AKRON, Ohio - The Knight Foundation has expanded a national program to include Akron, to help immigrants become U.S. citizens.

The announcement comes just a week after the city of Akron and the Summit County Executive's Office released a Welcoming Plan designed to create inclusive policies and practices that make refugees and immigrants feel welcome here, and to help them prosper.

Knight's $1.5 million grant to the New Americans Campaign will support the program while enabling Akron, St. Paul, Minn., and Philadelphia to join four other cities where Knight invests in offering support services to help immigrants become U.S. Citizens.

Locally, the campaign will work with the International Institute of Akron and ASIA Inc.

A founding funder, Knight awarded $2 million in 2011 to help create the campaign, which equips local organizations with the resources they need to help lawful, permanent residents overcome barriers and complete citizenship applications.

Since 2011, the campaign's affiliates have generated more than 300,000 applications for naturalization, 45,000 of them in Knight communities.

The Immigrant Legal Resource Center based in San Francisco, which has with more than 30 years of experience and expertise in naturalization law, has led the effort since its inception.

The center works to develop a national strategy to increase the number of immigrants naturalizing, and advocates for the naturalization process to be more streamlined and transparent, said Melissa A. Rodgers, the center's director of programs.

There are about 9 million lawful, permanent residents in the U.S. now, she said. And although the U.S. issues about 1 million green cards each year, less than 1 million immigrants per year naturalize.

But that could be changing.

"For the first time this year we are expecting that we'll see over a million applications for naturalization," she said.

The top barrier to becoming a U.S. citizen is an information gap. After conducting polls and focus groups, the immigrant resource center found that 61 percent of green-card holders had never received any info from the federal government about how to naturalize, Rodgers said.

"An information gap of that size is a stunning barrier to what should be a policy priority," she said.

The second barrier is cost. Immigrants can renew their green card every 10 years for $540. To naturalize, the cost is $725 per person, and requires filling out a 21-page form.

"You would imagine a country that prioritizes citizenship would make it less costly to apply," Rodgers said. "It's challenging and most families don't have $1,500 (for a couple) to spend."

The third barrier is cutbacks across the country in adult English-language-learning programs.

The New American Campaign partners will work with local entities -- schools, libraries, churches, consulates and community groups -- to get the information out about naturalization. Then they will provide immigrants with free or low-cost legal services to get through the naturalization process.

According to George Abbott, Knight's director of community and national initiatives, there are nearly 5,000 immigrants in Greater Akron who could be naturalized. But in the current climate of increased deportations under President Donald Trump's administration, many fear giving personal information to the federal government or making a mistake on the form.

According to Abbott, the grant is not a response to the increased deportations. The effort dovetails with Knight's support of the First Amendment and its mission to create informed and engaged communities.

"It shouldn't be a political issue for someone who is eligible for citizenship to become a citizen," said George Abbott, Knight's director of community and national initiatives. "We believe naturalization should be available to anyone who wants to naturalize."

In addition, to supporting immigration service, the Knight funding will also bolster the New American Campaign's Innovation Fund, which tests innovative strategies that could assist in the naturalization process in the seven Knight cities. The grant also will advance collaboration between cities and partners, encouraging knowledge sharing and the development of best practices, while building local capacity, and supporting the campaign's annual conference.

To learn more, visit about the New Americans Campaign website.

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