CLINIC congratulates eight affiliates that received funding through the USCIS Fiscal Year 2012 Citizenship and Integration Grant Program. USCIS announced the awards made to 31 organizations, totaling approximately $5 million, this week. These highly competitive, two-year grants will support citizenship classes and naturalization application services for 26,000 permanent residents. This is the fourth year that USCIS has provided funding for citizenship assistance. This year USCIS decided to continue the program at a reduced funding level in the absence of Congressional appropriations by allocating funds identified through cost savings in its budget.
Six CLINIC affiliates received a grant from USCIS: Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, GA; Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Hartford, CT; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL; Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Stockton, CA; the City of Littleton, CO; and Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon (Portland). In addition, two CLINIC affiliates will receive USCIS funding through partnerships with primary grantees: Catholic Social Services of Anchorage, AK and Catholic Charities of Tennessee (Nashville). Nineteen percent of the 31 primary grantees are CLINIC affiliates.