Executive Order 14012 Anniversary

Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization:

Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights

July 2022 - July 2023
Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization:

Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 2

Marking its second-year anniversary in July 2023, USCIS and our federal implementation partners of the 

Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization continued to build on the strong foundation and 

success of the first year and expanded our outreach focus. During this time, the Interagency Naturalization 

Working Group (NWG), grew from 13 to 16 members with the addition of the National Endowment for the 

Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), and the Small Business Administration (SBA). 

NWG members continued to elevate and highlight the importance of citizenship through a variety of special 

projects and efforts. 

Special Naturalization Ceremonies

Through special themed naturalization ceremonies in unique locations featuring federal, state, and local 

leaders as speakers, USCIS strives to elevate the awareness of the naturalization process and highlight the 

importance of welcoming new citizens into our democracy. 

• Delano Public Library in Delano, CA - December 15, 2022: The Fresno Field Office held a special 

naturalization ceremony where American labor leader and civil rights activist, Dolores Huerta, gave 

remarks and congratulated new citizens. Amplifying the importance of citizenship, Ms. Huerta also 

recorded a video PSA for USCIS following the ceremony which can be accessed on our YouTube page in 

English: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOLBnQOgdSc; and in Spanish: youtu.be/1iuRvENiYkA. As 

Dolores says – “Sí se puede!”—Yes you can!

• North Carolina Executive Mansion in Raleigh, NC – June 20, 2023: In recognition of World Refugee 

Day, the Raleigh Field Office held a special ceremony for 15 former asylees and refugees hosted at 

the Executive Mansion in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 

Executive Mansion is the official residence of the governor of 

North Carolina, This was the first naturalization ceremony 

held at the ‘People’s House’ in the 140-year history of the 

mansion. Governor Roy Cooper welcomed the candidates, 

saying, “You as new citizens will have something that I do 

not have. My citizenship was automatic. I was born here. 

Your citizenship has been earned.” During the ceremony, 

former Vietnamese refugee and Executive Director of the 

Montagnard Dega Association, Liana Adrong, was recognized 

as an Outstanding American by Choice. 

• George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Mount Vernon, VA – July 4, 2023: In honor of the Fourth of 

July, the Washington Field Office held a special ceremony at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. U.S. 

Department of State, Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, Julieta 

Noyes, gave remarks and welcomed the 90 new citizens from 53 countries reminding them that, “The 

strength and vitality of our American democracy depends on the investment of our citizens.” 
Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization:

Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 3

Interagency Collaboration

• Naturalization Ceremony Information Session with the National Park Service (NPS) – March 

16, 2023: With the goal of increasing the number of naturalization ceremonies held in national parks 

throughout the country, USCIS and NPS hosted an information session for 60 park superintendents and 

park staff. The information session reviewed the basic requirements for holding a ceremony, provided 

information and resources, and ended with a robust question and answer session. This session, and 

the NPS’s commitment to elevating citizenship through holding ceremonies in national parks, is a prime 

example of our effective inter-agency collaboration under the strategy. 

• USCIS Embedded Details: One aspect of the naturalization outreach strategy has been the placement 

of USCIS detailed staff with federal partner agencies to serve as inter-agency liaisons assisting partner 

agencies with implementing projects related to efforts to reduce barriers to naturalization. During these 

temporary detail assignments, USCIS staff served as in-house subject matter experts on immigration 

and naturalization issues and educated host agency staff on the naturalization process and the 

resources and tools available to support eligible lawful permanent residents interested in becoming 

citizens. 

ө HUD Detailee: During this 6-month detail, a USCIS staff member conducted targeted outreach 

and training on naturalization with public housing authorities in 12 cities throughout the country: 

Dallas, TX; El Paso, TX; Fort Worth, TX; San Antonio, TX; Miami, FL; Boston, MA; Lawrence, MA; 

Minneapolis, MN; St. Paul, MN; Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; and Los Angeles, CA. 

ө USDA Detailee: USCIS and USDA are committed to reaching underserved rural populations eligible 

to naturalize. During this 4-month detail, a USCIS staff member worked to foster connections 

between USCIS Community Relations Specialists and USDA local staff to support joint outreach 

on naturalization to the eligible to naturalize population regularly served by USDA. As part of this 

effort, USCIS Community Relations Specialists participated in USDA 101 training so they could 

learn about USDA’s organizational structure and function and appropriately target joint outreach 

activities. 

Targeted State and Local Engagements 

In year two, USCIS embarked on an ambitious schedule of state and local engagements highlighting the 

Naturalization Promotion Strategy and amplifying the importance of citizenship and immigrant integration. 

Through these trips, USCIS was able to meet with thousands of stakeholders representing multiple sectors 

sharing important information and resources, fostering partnerships, and gathering information about 

existing barriers to naturalization. Many of these trips provided unique opportunities to reach marginalized 

and underserved communities that may be eligible to naturalize. 

• Hawaii – December 2022: The Office of Citizenship, Partnership, and Engagement traveled to Hawaii 

and collaborated with the Hawaii Field Office in naturalization promotion work. Traveling to Maui and 

Oahu, USCIS held two Citizenship Education Teacher Training sessions, attended an agricultural event 

for farmworkers, held multiple stakeholder engagements to encourage and strengthen naturalization 

promotion efforts in the state, and hosted a naturalization ceremony. 
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Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 4

• California – December 2022: USCIS traveled to Fresno, CA to participate in the Fresno Hmong Cultural 

New Year Celebration. This unique multi-day event was attended by some 100,000 members of the 

Hmong community from across the United States. USCIS participated in the opening ceremony, 

stakeholder engagements, speaking events, and hosted a naturalization ceremony. 

• Utah – March 2023: USCIS coordinated with the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity, 

participating in meetings and engagements throughout the state. While in Salt Lake City, USCIS met 

with Governor Cox’s senior advisors on immigration issues, focusing on Utah’s efforts to foster 

immigrant integration and inclusion. The team also traveled to Ogden City and Logan, participating in a 

total of seven engagements, a citizenship education seminar, and a naturalization ceremony for 125 new 

U.S. citizens. Following our engagement with stakeholders in Ogden, Ogden City embarked on a 

comprehensive citizenship program, Path to Citizenship, that seeks to address all the common barriers 

to naturalization and engage students in extracurricular activities that promote civic participation. 

• North Carolina – June 2023: USCIS coordinated with the North 

Carolina Governor’s Office of Public Engagement and Inclusion, 

participating in meetings and engagements throughout the state. 

The USCIS team met with stakeholders in Raleigh, Durham, and 

Greensboro, participating in listening sessions, community 

roundtables and meetings with state and municipal leaders, and a 

World Refugee Day naturalization ceremony where 15 new 

American citizens took the Oath of Allegiance. 

• Texas – June 2023: USCIS coordinated with the Houston Office of 

New Americans. While in Houston, the team met with the Houston 

Mayor’s Department of Neighborhoods and learned about the 

city’s unique approach to language access for its limited English 

proficiency constituents, held a stakeholder engagement for 

immigrant service providers hosted by the Harris County Public 

Schools, met with the Houston Endowment and learned of their 

efforts and investments in promoting naturalization within 

Houston, and met at the Consulate of Mexico to discuss potential 

collaboration to promote naturalization among Mexican nationals 

in greater Houston who may be eligible to naturalize. The Houston Endowment has made a significant 

investment of 1.5 million dollars in ensuring that immigrants in Houston have the necessary support as 

they move along the pathway to citizenship. 

Expanded Foreign Embassy Outreach 

• In close coordination with DHS and building on the relationship established 

in year one, USCIS continued to actively engage with the Embassy of Mexico 

and its consulates in year two. Holding two initial meetings with the Mexican 

Ambassador and embassy staff, USCIS presented the goals of Executive Order 

14012 and the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization. In February, 

USCIS hosted a webinar on the naturalization process and available resources 

for all 52 Mexican Consulates. Over 100 consulate staff participated and the 

presentation was followed by an active question and answer session. 
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Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 5

• Continuing to disseminate information about the naturalization process and to promote citizenship 

among potential eligible to naturalize Mexican nationals in the U.S., USCIS continued to meet with

Consuls General and their staffs throughout the country whenever possible. 

This year, USCIS held in person meetings at four Mexican Consulates in El 

Paso, TX; Salt Lake City, UT; Raleigh, NC; and Houston, TX. In the coming 

months, USCIS Community Relations Specialists will participate in 

naturalization promotion events in partnership with several consulates 

throughout the country. 

• This year USCIS expanded foreign embassy outreach and met with the 

Guatemalan Consul General and his staff in Raleigh to share information 

about Guatemalan nationals eligible to naturalize in the area. The Consul 

General supported the idea of displaying USCIS naturalization materials in 

the lobby of the Guatemalen Consulate. 

Citizenship Teacher Education Trainings

• During this past year, USCIS staff from the Office of Citizenship conducted 21 in person citizenship 

training seminars with some 3,000 adult educators. The goal of these seminars is to provide 

participants with ideas, promising practices, and tools for promoting citizenship education in their local 

communities. These free seminars provide instruction on the naturalization test, application process, 

and eligibility requirements to help participants build, enhance, and maintain a comprehensive adult 

citizenship education program. 
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Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 6

Citizenship Grants

• Since it began in FY 2009, USCIS has awarded $132 million through 579 competitive grants to immigrantserving organizations in 39 states and the District of Columbia. The program has helped more than 

300,000 immigrants prepare for citizenship. In October 2022, USCIS awarded nearly $20 million in grants 

to 66 organizations for a 2-year period of performance. In FY 2023 USCIS received $25 million for the 

program and will make awards by September 30, 2023. 

• Through these grant opportunities, USCIS is working to expand the availability of high-quality 

citizenship preparation services and to provide opportunities for immigrants to gain the knowledge and 

training necessary to integrate into American society. Increased learning opportunities and additional 

citizenship instruction resources in communities help immigrants improve their English language skills, 

increase their knowledge of U.S. history and government, and gain the tools necessary meet their 

responsibilities and become successful U.S. citizens.

Citizenship Ambassadors

• USCIS launched the Citizenship Ambassadors Initiative in July 2022, timed to coincide with the one year 

anniversary of the public release of the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization. The initiative 

is a core piece of the Strategy’s public education and outreach campaign. 

ө Citizenship Ambassadors volunteer with USCIS 

under a renewable Gratuitous Service Agreements 

(GSAs) and work alongside community relations 

specialists (CRSs), public affairs officers (PAOs), the 

Office of Citizenship (OoC), and district and field 

office directors (FODs) on citizenship promotion and 

education outreach messaging. 

ө As trusted, well-known, and respected community 

leaders, selected ambassadors share USCIS 

talking points and publicly available materials and 

resources, as well as their own personal stories 

and experiences navigating, or helping others to 

navigate, the naturalization process. Ambassadors 

also communicate with USCIS on community 

issues and concerns, prevalent community myths 

or erroneous beliefs about the naturalization 

process, and continued challenges and barriers to 

naturalization. 

ө After one year of highly successful initiative implementation, USCIS is working to expand the total 

number of ambassadors from 8 to 12. The increased number of ambassadors will amplify the 

success of the program, diversifying its geographic reach and access to an increased number of 

immigrant communities. 
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Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 7

Outstanding Americans by Choice 

The Outstanding Americans by Choice initiative recognizes the outstanding achievements of naturalized 

U.S. citizens. USCIS continued to recognize naturalized U.S. citizens who have made significant contributions 

to their community and adopted country. Through civic participation, professional achievement, and 

responsible citizenship, recipients of this honor demonstrate their commitment to this country and to the 

common civic values that unite us as Americans. Recent recognitions include:

• Liana Adrong, Executive Director, Montagnard Dega Association, Greensboro, NC 

Recognition date: June 20, 2023, Raleigh, NC 

• Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, Associate Dean for Public Health and C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public 

Health, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Flint, MI

Recognition date: April 24, 2023, Dearborn, MI

• Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO, Bread for the World, Washington, DC 

Recognition date: January 13, 2023, Washington, DC

• Brigadier General and Deputy Commanding General Stephen L. A. Michael (Ret.), U.S. Army, 

Kansas City, MO

Recognition date: November 10, 2022, Washington, DC

• Esther Olavarria, Former Deputy Director for Immigration, White House Domestic Policy Council, Miami, FL 

Recognition date: November 8, 2022, Miami, FL
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Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 8

Law School Community of Practice

The Law School Community of Practice established in year one continued to convene during year two. This 

Community of Practice was established to encourage law schools to engage in naturalization-focused days of 

service around key calendar dates, especially in rural, isolated, and/or vulnerable communities, and to allow 

naturalization support to count for the public service credits required for graduation. USCIS hosts quarterly 

Community of Practice meetings for this group, bringing together law schools and their trusted partners 

to share best innovations and practices in the field around citizenship preparation, and opportunities 

for collaboration. Meetings also afford USCIS an opportunity to share pertinent information to promote 

naturalization. Additionally, USCIS provides civics and citizenship education materials for these events. 

Below are highlights of some promoting naturalization initiatives from select Community of Practice group 

members. 

• Arkansas Access to Justice Commission and Foundation in Northwest Arkansas. The Commission 

was created by the Arkansas Supreme Court in 2003 to provide equal access to justice in civil cases 

for all Arkansans. This year, fittingly on Citizenship Day, the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission, 

along with several partner organizations (including the National Lawyers Guild), will jointly host a 

Naturalization Clinic on September 17 in Rogers, Arkansas. Prior to the clinic, volunteers, including 

attorneys, nonprofit workers, and law students from the University of Arkansas School of Law and the 

William H. Bowen School of Law will attend a training with in-person and virtual options. USCIS has 

provided study materials for the clinic. This will be the inaugural Naturalization Clinic in northwest 

Arkansas, a metropolitan area and region within the Ozark Mountains, and home to approximately 

14,000 eligible to naturalize lawful permanent residents. Arkansas Access to Justice anticipates serving 

around 100 clients. 

• Project Citizenship in Boston, MA. Since 2014, Project Citizenship has hosted numerous free 

legal workshops on citizenship throughout New England with a focus on the most vulnerable and 

disadvantaged populations. Project Citizenship conducts targeted outreach to the immigrant 

community. Potential clients can schedule eligibility screenings online, and, if they appear potentially 

eligible, they are notified to schedule an appointment for an upcoming workshop. Through an online 

platform, Project Citizenship manages thousands of volunteers from local colleges and universities, and 

the private sector (including established corporate partnerships and attorneys). On April 1, 2023, Project 

Citizenship hosted Boston’s largest Citizenship Day in collaboration with the Boston Mayor’s Office for 

Immigrant Advancement (MOIA). Through this large-scale event, Project Citizenship and its partners 

served 419 clients with the assistance of 270 volunteers. Clients’ ages ranged between 17 to 87 and 

represented nationals from 57 different countries. 

• CUNY Citizenship Now! and CUNY School of Law in New York, NY. For the past 25 years, CUNY 

Citizenship Now! has been providing pro bono naturalization application and legal assistance, alongside 

other legal services to support the needs of nearly a quarter of a million immigrants across New York 

City’s five boroughs through its community-based pro se limited scope legal service program model. 

This unique model allows them to assist more than 12,000 individuals per year. The program utilizes a 

trained a volunteer corps of over 6,000. 
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Second Anniversary Accomplishment Highlights 9

New Resources

• USCIS Policy Manual: Naturalization and Citizenship Related Updates: 

ө Revision of Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions (Form N-648)

ө Extension of Permanent Resident Card for Naturalization Applicants

ө Revision of Request for Certification of Military or Naval Service (Form N-426)

ө Venues for Administrative Naturalization Ceremonies

ө Citizenship for Adopted Children

ө Removing Guidance Related to the 2020 Civics Test

• Military IMMVETS: Resources from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of 

Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and other agencies that offer services and 

resources to assist military members, veterans, and their families. As a U.S. military member or veteran, 

you may be eligible to apply for naturalization to become a United States citizen as well as other 

benefits and services.

• Online Rescheduling of Biometrics Appointments: On June 28, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration 

Services launched a new self-service tool allowing benefit requestors, and their attorneys and 

accredited representatives, to reschedule most biometric services appointments before the date of the 

appointment.

• Citizenship Resource Center: This is a collection of helpful resources and free study materials for a 

variety of users which is frequently updated.

As the Chair of Interagency Naturalization Working Group and co-lead of the Task Force on New 

Americans, USCIS will continue to work to bring together all sectors of society to promote naturalization 

and immigrant integration.