Martha Calderon is from Michoacán, Mexico. She was born with cerebral palsy, which affects her brain and movement. She cannot walk and living in Mexico was challenging due to inadequate infrastructure for wheelchair users, but she has greater independence in the United States. While visiting Mexico, Martha had to return to the U.S. before she’d like to due to the 6-month abroad rule put in place by immigration for Legal Permanent Residents (LPR). Becoming a citizen would give her more freedom to travel so after being a LPR for 17 years, in summer of 2023, Martha started the Naturalization process to become a U.S. Citizen through the New Americans Initiative (NAI). Since 2005, the NAI has assisted immigrant families with citizenship information & education, interview preparation, application processing, and citizenship scholarships for eligible Illinois residents.
Ms. Calderon learned about the Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) through a family friend who was familiar with their work and recommended she contact SWOP. While she could have managed the Naturalization process onher own, Martha found the help from SWOP and member institution, Instituto Del Progreso Latino (IDPL) invaluable due to the complex legal terminology involved. Martha’s naturalization application was completed by phone with IDPL and SWOP’s citizenship navigator brought documents to her home to sign. She was pleasantly surprised by the speed of the application process. Martha stated she did not experience stress as she was assisted throughout the process and did not have to make any payments as she qualified for the fee waiver. When she was scheduled with immigration, it was winter time, and Martha had a backup plan for every situation because nothing was going to stop her from getting her citizenship. The day of the interview, Martha’s planning proved to be worthwhile as public transportation elevators were not functioning.
When asked about her experience with the naturalization process, she had this to share, “SWOP and IDPL helped me with meeting me where I was at to fill my application. I don’t know if the process would have been as fast if it wasn’t for the help I received.” Martha continued to say that she believes that anyone can overcome barriers if they truly want to. Although age and mobility and other factors may present challenges, there is always away for those who are determined. Martha is now a U.S. Citizen and has all the freedom to travel. Ms. Calderon encourages others to start their citizenship process with SWOP if they are unsure and plans to help her brother achieve his residency in the future.
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If you would like more information on becoming a U.S.Citizen, contact Imaltzin Astorga, iastorga@swopchicago.org
