Churches, others partner to offer services to immigrants

Two church organizations, Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma and a university have partnered to offer free English as a Second Language and civic classes to immigrants, as well as naturalization legal services.

The services are funded by a $225,000 U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services grant.

Orientation for the free classes begin Tuesday in south Oklahoma City and Jan. 12 in northwest Oklahoma City.

Oklahoma City University, Immigrant Connection at May Avenue Wesleyan Church, the Immigration Center at Western Oaks Church of the Nazarene and Legal Aid have partnered for the two-year project, said Arlita Harris, executive director of the Immigration Center at Western Oaks.

Harris said to be eligible for the ESL-Civics classes, an individual must have had a green card for five years (three years if married to a U.S. citizen) and be willing to attend two classes per week, beginning the week of Jan. 14. She said the classes are designed to help people learn English and prepare for their citizenship interview.

Harris said individuals also will be able to receive free legal services to prepare their N-400 application, which is an application for naturalization.

“The goal is to have 200 new citizens in the next two years,” she said.

The Jan. 12 orientation sessions will be at Immigrant Connection at May Avenue Wesleyan Church, 7901 NW 16, where Harris serves as a Department of Justice accredited representative.

The Rev. Nathan Hedge, pastor of May Avenue Wesleyan

Church, said the Immigrant Connection center at his church, 5201 S May Ave., will be the site of Tuesday’s orientation session.

Both Harris and Hedge said the free classes and other services should help immigrants who want to take the citizenship test but feel their mastery of English may be an obstacle.

“Many people have just waited and not applied for citizenship.

We’re running into people who had had their green card for 30 years and they’re afraid their English isn’t good enough, that they can’t pass the (citizenship) interview,” Harris said.

She said the Immigration Center at her church has served 120 clients and helped 25 of them become new citizens since it opened in summer 2017.

Hedge said he’s excited about the partnership with OCU and another opportunity to serve immigrants in the community. He said the university is providing the teachers for the classes.

Hedge recommended that anyone interested in the classes attend an orientation session so that instructors may determine their mastery of English.

He said people who miss the first set of classes will have an opportunity to join other classes that will be offered over the next two years.