New American citizen thanks CCS immigration program

IC photo/Laura Vallejo

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Maribeli Maria Lee is one of the nearly 40 people whom CCS helped to receive their American citizenship during a July 5 ceremony in Salt Lake City.

 SALT LAKE CITY — Among the hundreds of people who received their American citizenship in recent days are 36 people who were helped by Catholic Community Services of Utah.

Each of their journeys toward citizenship was very different – some came as refugees, others were brought as children to the United States by their parents, others married U.S. citizens. Some have had an easy path, while others struggled along the way.

For Maribeli Maria Lee, the road to American citizenship went along both paths.

Lee was born and raised in the tiny city of San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. It was there that, 25 years ago, she met her husband, an American archaeologist who was working in some ruins located in the town.

“I felt in love immediately,” Lee said.

They got married and started traveling back and forth to the United States, a situation that helped her get her American residency. They had a child and, with everything going smoothly, and Lee never worried about anything: She had a job, a loving husband and a beautiful daughter, she said.

 But life had reserved many challenges for her. Suddenly, her husband passed away.

“I was very sad, but I continued working and doing my best to make a living for my daughter and me,” she said, adding that it never crossed her mind to collect her husband’s pension.

Then an accident at work left her with a broken hip and damage to her spine. Now she is in constant pain and has to walk with crutches.

“I have always followed all the rules, but with all the changes (in federal immigration requirements), I was filled with fear; I was just a resident and I thought I could get deported any time,” Lee said.

Between the severe physical pain, the fear about her legal status, and the stress of not being able to earn any income, she lost many nights of sleep praying and worrying about her future, she said.

“I was very scared that I was going to get separated from my daughter. She is the only one that I have left,” Lee said.

Looking for help, she heard about Catholic Community Services’ Immigration and Refugee Program, which provides “full legal representation to immigrants and refugees when they submit applications to ‘legalize’ or upgrade their immigration status. CCS also provides individual consultations to immigrants, refugees and even U.S. citizens who have questions about immigration laws, procedures and basic eligibility,” according to the CCS web page.

Lee contacted CCS and, on July 5, she was among a group of people from 42 different countries to receive American citizenship in a ceremony at This is the Place Heritage Park.

“Thanks be to God and to CCS everything worked and now I can be in peace,” she said. “I didn’t know what to expect but now I cannot believe that I got the citizenship. It’s like a dream come true. ... Due to my disease and [resident] status I was not able to collect any benefits, nor able to work, and I was at risk of getting my residency taken away, but now everything is different,” said Lee.

Because CCS offers many services, people who need help should approach them, Lee said.

“Maybe you are unsure if they might be able to help you, or maybe you are very scared, but the moment you enter their building the receptionist welcomes you with a big smile,” she said adding that she will be forever grateful for the help CCS gave her.

CCS has been providing immigration services for more than 20 years, helping to reunite families and aiding people gain American citizenship. Besides helping people that are in situations similar to Lee, CCS also helps and resettles refugees. CCS employs immigration attorneys, legal representatives and an immigration case manager who every year file more than 1,000 immigration applications.

This year the agency has faced many new challenges, said Aden Batar, CCS’ director of Immigration and Refugee Resettlement.

“The federal court and the government have been going back and forth with rulings regarding refugees,” he said. “This year we were projecting to resettle 600 refugees; as of this month, the numbers are 380 refugees arrived,” he said, adding that, with the court challenges to the federal administration’s legislation in this area, he is uncertain whether CCS will meet the projection.

The most recent change in federal immigration stems from the ban on refugees from six predominantly Muslim countries. The order had prevented grandparents and other close relatives of residents from entering the United States. However, a federal judge in Hawaii overturned the ruling regarding grandparents and also declared that refugees with ties to a resettlement agency that was committed to receiving them had a relationship were eligible to enter the country.

“So that was really good news,” Batar said. “We are committed to helping refugees and immigrants, and we will continue working despite that this has been a real challenge for us. Our goal is to make sure that the families that arrive are well integrated and taken care of. ... We care about the people and we work for the people, for the better of all.”