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Citizen's Day Celebrated with Free, Informational EventBy Caroline Stauffer On Saturday, April 19, local immigration attorneys will provide assistance and answer questions for lawful permanent residents who may be eligible to become naturalized U.S. citizens. The event, free and open to the public, will be held at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church in Virginia Beach from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. The American Immigration Lawyer's Association (AILA) sponsors citizen's day events in 26 states nationwide. Radlyn Mendoza, Esq., organized the first ever Citizen's Day in Hampton Roads last year and returned as the event's coordinator this year. Mendoza focuses exclusively on immigration law at the Virginia Beach firm Gardner & Mendoza, P.C. The Washington D.C.-based AILA advocates for fair and reasonable immigration law and policy. The Citizen's Day event is staffed entirely by volunteers, in cooperation with Tony Bryson, director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service's Norfolk office. The professionals who are volunteering their time will answer questions, screen potential applicants to determine eligibility for naturalization, assist with the application process and explain the benefits of citizenship. Mendoza said volunteers assisted about 35 people at least year's event. In the 2006 fiscal year, 700,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens across the United States, according to AILA statistics. St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church is located at 5345 Virginia Beach Blvd. The event will take place in the Tobias Room. |
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