Civic Engagement Programs

IINE works to support the civic engagement, active participation, and full legal protection of the immigrant communities we serve. We have designed our services to guide refugees and new immigrants from welcome to naturalization.  In 2015, the White House Task Force on New Americans conducted a robust study on refugee and immigrant integration in the US. In their final report, they identified a lack of access to naturalization services as one of the key obstacles to full integration. This is especially critical today, when the demand for these services is soaring.

IINE is expanding its naturalization application services at its Lowell site and building infrastructure to offer immigration forms assistance, adjustment of status, and naturalization services at each site.  

While naturalization immediately confers the rights and responsibilities of full political participation on new citizens, it also has demonstrable benefits that extend into their wider community. Studies have shown naturalization to increase earnings, homeownership rates, and employment rates for individuals, which translates into increased tax revenues and potentially reduced government expenditures on public benefits for cities. IINE’s commitment to expanding legal status opportunities to immigrants is a commitment to the towns and cities in which they live, work, and contribute.