National Partnership for New Americans Urges Protections, Fewer Barriers to Citizenship for Naturalized Citizens

The Sun-Times published a letter from Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans, marking the death of civil rights leader Dolores Huerta and the results of Tuesday’s midterm election. Melaku described the election as a rejection of the administration’s corruption, cruelty and billionaire-first agenda, a characterization presented as her own view.

Melaku wrote that Huerta dedicated her life to the belief that every person deserves dignity and that dignity should not require extraordinary sacrifice. She said Huerta organized farm workers who labored for poverty-level wages and pressed for them to have a voice, fair treatment and the chance to build secure futures.

Melaku pointed to a recent poll by the National Partnership for New Americans. According to the letter, 90% of naturalized citizens surveyed reported being deeply committed to voting, but more than half reported feeling less secure in their citizenship. The same survey found that 78% cited grocery and food prices as their top priority, and 44% said household finances had worsened over the past year.

From these findings, Melaku argued that naturalized citizens are taking part in civic life while facing the same economic pressures as other households. She wrote that people struggling to afford necessities, facing barriers to citizenship or feeling insecure about rights they have already earned cannot fully engage in public life. Scripture calls believers to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves (Proverbs 31:8-9).

Melaku called for three steps: protecting the rights of naturalized citizens, removing barriers that keep eligible immigrants from becoming citizens, and investing in community organizations that help newcomers participate fully in civic life. She addressed those now holding power, urging them to honor Huerta’s legacy by recognizing that the democracy depends on the participation, protection and dignity of all its citizens.

Source: Read the original report