Through a collaborative project with Hudson and Union County governments, the New Jersey State AFL-CIO spearheaded the creation of We Are One NJ, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides free support services to legal permanent residents seeking to attain U.S. citizenship.
We Are One NJ centers opened in Hudson and Union Counties in 2014 and 2015. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is pleased to report that both centers have achieved incredible progress, having collectively processed more than 2614 citizenship applications. Thus far, the centers have celebrated with 1256 clients who’ve achieved fully naturalized citizenship. In addition, the centers have assisted a total of 214 children, all of whom derived citizenship as a direct result of their parents becoming citizens.
New Jersey is home to an estimated 8.9 million people. Of those 8.9 million, 21 percent were born outside the United States. In Hudson County alone, there are 93,000 Legal Permanent Residents (LPRs), who are eligible to become U.S. citizens, but lack the financial resources and English-language skills to fulfill their dream of full citizenship.
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is the only federation in the country that offers We Are One centers. These centers provide U.S. citizenship application guidance, voter registration, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application and renewal assistance, understanding of workplace rights, and Notary services. The goal of the centers is to build stronger communities by educating and engaging new Americans to become active participants in our Democracy. All services are provided free of charge in an accessible, culturally competent, responsive and trustworthy environment where all participants are treated as respected members of the community with individual needs and concerns.
The road to citizenship is challenging and often takes years to complete. If you know of any union members from Hudson or Union County that may be in need of assistance, please urge them to take advantage of these free services.
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