Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.

Access to Education

Maria Jose’s father was a soldier in the Guatemalan Civil War, and it had made him a violent, angry man.  He had a drinking problem, and he beat Maria Jose, her mother, and her younger siblings. One night, Maria Jose tried to defend her mother and her father chased her out of the house with a machete. Maria Jose slept in the homes of different family members, but no one would let her stay for long.  They were all scared of what her father would do.  Maria Jose’s dream was to be a teacher and she was a good student when she could go to school.  Her aunt in Maryland agreed to take her in.  She thought her problems were over when she made it to Maryland.  She was excited when her aunt took her to enroll in the local public high school.  Then the school told her she would need to prove she had not graduated from high school in Guatemala by getting a letter from the Ministry of Education of Guatemala.  They told her that her parents could get the official documentation for her.

CLINIC Announces Updated Naturalization Guide

CLINIC is pleased to announce our updated handbook, Strategies for Naturalizing the Most Vulnerable Applicants: A Guide to Helping Refugees and Immigrants Who Are Elderly, Disabled, Low-Income, Low-Literate, and Limited English Proficient.  The handbook, initially released in 2008, has been updated to reflect the latest naturalization policies and procedures.  It discusses English exemptions, due consideration, reasonable accommodations, disability waivers, oath waivers, fee waivers, and expedited processing.  It also contains approximately 30 links to various references and resources such as USCIS policy guidance and sample letters.

The handbook is available here as a free resource on the CLINIC website.