USCIS-IMLS WEBINAR

Citizenship and Integration 

Grant Program

USCIS

March 21, 2024

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Reminders

• For any media inquiries or on the record statements, please 

email media@uscis.dhs.gov.

• For congressional inquiries, please 

contact USCISCongressionalInquiries@uscis.dhs.gov.

• Send additional questions by emailing, 

citizenshipgrantprogram@uscis.dhs.gov.

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Agenda

• Institute of Museum and Library Services Welcoming Remarks 

Teri DeVoe, Associate Deputy Director for Grants to States

• USCIS Office of Citizenship Overview 

Claudia Conlon, Management and Program Analyst, Publications & 

Outreach Branch

• Overview of the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program

Catherine Lopez, Program Officer, Grants Branch

• Spotlight on a Current Grant Recipient

Homa Naficy and Cristina Burgos, Hartford Public Library

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Welcoming Remarks

Teri DeVoe

Associate Deputy Director for Grants to States

Institute of Museum and Library Services

https://www.imls.gov/

4
Office of Citizenship Overview

Claudia Conlon

Management and Program Analyst 

USCIS Office of Citizenship

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship

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Office of Citizenship Overview, Cont.

• Provides federal leadership, 

tools, and resources to foster 

immigrant integration

• Promotes instruction and 

training on citizenship rights and 

responsibilities 

• Engages and supports 

organizations in their integration 

efforts

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Citizenship and Integration Grant 

Program Overview

Catherine Lopez

Program Officer, Grants Branch

USCIS Office of Citizenship

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/civic-integration/learn-aboutthe-citizenship-and-integration-grant-program

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Citizenship and Integration Grant 

Program Impact

$155 million allocated

644 competitive grants awarded

41 states + District of Columbia

300,000 + immigrants served

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Program Goals

* Photo from Baltimore City Community College and IRC Baltimore

The goal of the Citizenship and Integration 

Grant Program is to:

• Expand the availability of high-quality 

citizenship preparation services for 

immigrants across the nation; and

• Provide opportunities for immigrants to 

gain the knowledge and skills necessary 

to integrate into the fabric of American 

society.

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Who Can Apply?

• City, township and county 

governments

• Independent school districts

• Indian/Native American Tribally 

Designated Organization and 

Governments

• Public/Indian Housing Authority

• Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6) 

IRS status, other than institutions of 

higher education

• Private, public and state-controlled

institutions of higher education

• Special district governments

• State governments

Historically, a diverse range of organizations have been eligible to apply, 

including libraries and museums!

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Libraries, Museums, and Partnerships

Public and non-profit libraries and museums are among the many types of 

organizations that are eligible to apply for USCIS grants.

Consider a partnership! 

You can partner with other communitybased organizations that offer legal services.

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Upcoming Events

Stop by the USCIS booth at the Public Library Association Conference!

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Guest Presenter

Joining us today to speak about their library’s experience as a USCIS grant recipient 

is the Hartford Public Library in Hartford, CT!

* Photo from Hartford Public Library

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Spotlight on a Current Grant 

Recipient

Homa Naficy

Executive Director of The American Place

Hartford Public Library

Cristina Burgos 

Citizenship Administrative Coordinator

Hartford Public Library

https://tap.hplct.org/

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The Power of U.S. Citizenship

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Taking It Local 

• Promoting the benefits of Citizenship 

• Demystifying the process 

• Designing and delivering services

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Making It Real:

Citizenship Education

• Citizenship classes

• Volunteer citizenship coaching

• Mock interviews 

• Independent study

• Citizenship corner 

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Making it Real:

Application Completion Support 

• Recognition & accreditation

• Co-location of legal services

• Workshops 

• Referrals 

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Why Not Your Library?

COMMUNITY-NEEDS ASSESSMENT

• USCIS Naturalization-Related Data and Statistics 

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship

• Deloitte, Datawheel https://datausa.io/profile/geo/hartford-town-puma-ct

• Migration Policy Institute, State Immigration Data Profiles 

https://www.migrationpolicy.org/programs/data-hub/state-immigration-dataprofiles

• Interactive Map: Eligible to Naturalize Adults by Probability of Naturalization 

– by State (2023) https://dornsife.usc.edu/eri/research/map-eligible-tonaturalize-state-2023/

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Yes, My Library! • Leadership Buy-In • Capacity Considerations • Space • Staffing • Partnerships • Funding 

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Value Added

• Individuals 

• Communities 

• The Nation 

• Libraries 

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Years in the Making

2000 – 2024 

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The American Place 

Your Path to U.S. Citizenship Begins Here 

Website:

https://tap.hplct.org/

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Questions?

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Learn More

To contact us, please email:

citizenshipgrantprogram@uscis.dhs.gov

To learn more about the 

USCIS grant program, please visit 

our website at:

https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/civic-integration/learn-about-the-citizenship-andintegration-grant-program

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Concluding Remarks

Thank you for joining today’s session.

To learn more about the USCIS Citizenship and Integration Grant Program, 

please visit our website at: https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/civic- integration/learn-about-the-citizenship-and-integration-grant-program.

For more information on our national engagements, visit: 

https://www.uscis.gov/outreach. 

To provide feedback on this engagement, email us at: 

Public.Engagement@uscis.dhs.gov. 

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Disclaimer

This webinar material is intended solely as informational. 

It is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon 

to create or confer any right(s) or benefits(s), substantive 

or procedural, enforceable at law by any individual or 

other party in benefit applications before DHS, in removal 

proceedings, in litigation with the United States, or in any 

other form or manner. This webinar material does not 

have the force of law, or of a DHS directive.

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Dissemination

• This presentation may not be reproduced or further 

disseminated without the express written consent of the 

USCIS Office of Citizenship (OoC).

• Please contact OoC for additional information at 

office.of.citizenship@uscis.dhs.gov. 

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About this Presentation

• Author: USCIS Office of Citizenship (OoC).

• Date of last revision: March 21, 2024. 

• This presentation contains no sensitive Personally Identifiable 

Information (PII).

• Any references in documents or text, with the exception of 

case law, relate to fictitious individuals.

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Thank you for joining today’s

session.

For more information on our national 

engagements, visit uscis.gov/outreach.

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