Grants Will Aid 'Lawfully Admitted' Immigrants In Essex County

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A pair of Essex County groups were among 40 organizations that earned a total of $9.4 million in federal grants to help prepare lawful permanent residents for the U.S. naturalization process.

The fiscal year 2018 grants from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) run through 2020. They aim to “promote prospective citizens’ assimilation into American civic life by funding educational programs designed to increase their knowledge of English, U.S. history, and civics.”

Organizations that receive grants can only use funds to provide services to immigrants who have been lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence, federal officials said.

The following Essex County groups received awards:

• Jewish Vocational Service of MetroWest - East Orange - $250,000
• La Casa de Don Pedro - Newark - $225,000

According to federal officials, the Citizenship and Assimilation Grant Program has awarded more than $82 million through 393 competitive grants to immigrant-serving organizations in 38 states and the District of Columbia since it began in 2009. Now in its 10th year, the program has helped more than 200,000 LPRs prepare for citizenship.

• See related article: Can YOU Pass a U.S. Citizenship Test?

The USCIS anticipates that approximately 25,000 LPRs will receive citizenship preparation services by Sept. 30, 2020, as a result of the FY 2018 awards. An additional 12,500 LPRs continue to receive services under the ongoing FY 2017 program, which continues through Sept. 30, 2019.

See the full list of FY 2018 awardees here.

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