NALEO Educational Fund & Partners Commemorate 20 Years of AILA Citizenship Day!

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) , the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund , the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) , Citizenshipworks (a project of Pro Bono Net's Justicia Lab ), and the New Americans Campaign (NAC) will celebrate the 20 ^th Anniversary of AILA Citizenship Day , honoring two decades of service and collective impact. This year's AILA Citizenship Day will be held on and around September 20, 2025, with in-person and virtual events around the country to provide legal expertise and support as Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs) apply to become naturalized citizens. The national effort will gather attorneys, affiliates, law students, paralegals, interpreters, and community members at AILA Citizenship Day events to offer free-of-charge assistance filling out N-400 Applications and preparing and reviewing documents to become a U.S. Citizen.

In preparation for AILA Citizenship Day, community members can call NALEO Educational Fund's national, bilingual (English and Spanish) hotline at 1-888-839-8682 to verify their eligibility and find free and low-cost assistance in their communities.

AILA Executive Director Benjamin Johnson described the engagement of AILA members: "All across the country, our members join together for AILA Citizenship Day, a series of events and clinics to help people review their eligibility to naturalize and then help them prepare the paperwork for submission. In the current environment, this work is more important than ever. By donating their legal expertise and working with community and national partners, our members multiply their impact far beyond what an individual attorney can do. In the midst of attacks on immigrants and an attempt to devalue their contributions to our country, we are immensely proud that our members are volunteering their time to help someone take those last few steps on the path to citizenship."

"Citizenship through naturalization is one of the most meaningful and profound ways to improve the lives of immigrants living in the U.S.," said NALEO Educational Fund CEO Erica Bernal-Martinez . "In just over a decade, we have witnessed the share of foreign-born Latinos who became naturalized citizens increase from 29% to 39%, a clear sign of the deep desire for obtaining U.S. Citizenship. NALEO Educational Fund is proud to partner on this twentieth AILA Citizenship Day and is committed to offering accurate and timely information and resources on the naturalization process through our toll-free, national bilingual citizenship hotline (1-888-839-8682) - Monday through Thursday from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET."

"Since 2011 Citizenshipworks' free, multilingual, online naturalization tool has helped thousands achieve the protections and privileges of Citizenship. We are proud to partner with AILA, NALEO, and NPNA to make this year's Citizenship Day a success and to bring the benefits of citizenship to even more immigrants," said Rodrigo Camarena, Director of Justicia Lab .

"As the Trump administration attacks the 14 ^th Amendment in an attempt to restrict access to citizenship, this Citizenship Day serves as a reminder that citizenship is more than just legal status-it is the foundation of our democracy. It enables millions to fully engage in civic life, reflecting commitment, perseverance, and a shared dedication to strengthening democracy and building a more inclusive and representative nation," said Nicole Melaku, Executive Director of the National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) . "No matter the political climate, NPNA remains unwavering in our support for immigrants, families, and workers pursuing citizenship. Through our Naturalize NOW! Campaigns, Cities & Counties for Citizenship (CC4C) initiatives , and collaborators like AILA, we empower and encourage eligible communities to secure their rightful place in our democracy."

"On this Citizenship Day, the NAC is proud to join with AILA and partner organizations across the country to celebrate the millions of immigrants who aspire to become U.S. citizens. Together, our network of more than 200 organizations is working every day to remove barriers and expand access to naturalization for the over 11 million lawful permanent residents. At a time when the promise of citizenship is more important than ever, we remain committed to ensuring that eligible immigrants can achieve the security and belonging that citizenship provides," said Lucia Martel-Dow, Director of the New Americans Campaign .

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The American Immigration Lawyers Association is the national association of immigration lawyers established to promote justice, advocate for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy, advance the quality of immigration and nationality law and practice, and enhance the professional development of its members.

The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multi racial coalition of 86 of the nation's largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org .

NALEO Educational Fund i s the nation's leading non-partisan, non-profit organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the American political process, from citizenship to public service.

Citizenshipworks is a project of Pro Bono Net's Justicia Lab, a nonprofit incubator of immigrant legal technology. Citizenshipworks ( www.citizenshipworks.org ), is a ground breaking online naturalization platform that has transformed applying for U.S. Citizenship assistance by making it easy for anyone to go online, screen for eligibility, complete their forms, and connect to virtual or in-person legal assistance.

The New Americans Campaign (NAC) led by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, is the nation's leading collaborative dedicated to increasing the number of eligible immigrants who become naturalized citizens. We build the capacity of nonprofit service providers, advocate for fair naturalization policies, and connect people with legal experts through our network of 200 partner organizations in more than 80 cities nationwide. Since its inception in 2011, the NAC has helped more than 690,000 people apply for U.S. citizenship. By providing naturalization assistance at low or no cost, the NAC network has saved applicants over $775 million in fees.