{"id":5860,"date":"2026-09-16T16:36:10","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T23:36:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/?p=5860"},"modified":"2026-09-16T16:39:45","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T23:39:45","slug":"guadalupes-story-her-pathway-to-u-s-citizenship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/guadalupes-story-her-pathway-to-u-s-citizenship\/","title":{"rendered":"Guadalupe\u2019s Story – Her Pathway to U.S. Citizenship\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
By Geovany Gonzaga<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Guadalupe is a 71-year-old woman born in Mexico who came to the United States at age 20. She has been a lawful permanent resident for 37 years.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI came to the United States in 1975 looking for a better future. I crossed the border twice, walking through the desert.\u202f In 1984, my father became ill and I had to go back to Mexico. That’s when Immigration caught me once, but very soon released me after an hour. In 1989, I was able to become a lawful permanent resident through the amnesty program.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In March 2025, she came to the YMCA\u2019s New American Welcome Center<\/a> for assistance with her citizenship application. The New American Welcome Center helped pay for her application and the team also accompanied her to her July 2025 naturalization interview to provide interpretation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, they were wonderful people because they treated me very well and explained everything to me very clearly. I have no complaints about anything. Thank God, they helped me a lot.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the interview, the officer questioned discrepancies in her application. She mistakenly stated that she had never been detained by immigration because she had forgotten about a brief encounter with immigration authorities in 1984, more than 37 years earlier. The officer viewed this as a lie and instructed her to wait for a letter requesting additional information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Approximately two months later, she received a Notice of Intent to Deny \u2014 not a request for additional information. The notice stated that she had not been able to establish that she was truthful during her interview. Frightened, she returned to the YMCA for help. I assisted her in drafting a response explaining what had actually happened and why she had forgotten about the incident. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For nearly a year, she heard nothing from USCIS. During that time, she lived in constant fear that her citizenship application would be denied, and that USCIS might take action against her, including the possibility of deportation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had been told that I might not be granted citizenship, and I lived in fear that I was going to be deported.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, in late June 2026, Guadalupe received the news she had been hoping and praying for: a notice to appear for her Oath Ceremony in July 2026. She had been granted U.S. citizenship. Our team once again accompanied her to the ceremony to provide interpretation. Afterward, she returned to the New American Welcome Center, where we helped her apply for her U.S. passport and register to vote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me, they were wonderful people because they treated me very well and explained everything to me very clearly. I have no complaints about anything. Thank God, they helped me a lot.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because you are wonderful people, you help people feel encouraged to go through this process, and you are very kind. I even recommended two people who have already applied with you. I have already told many people about the work you do there and that it is a safe place. I also made many copies of the questions you gave me and handed them out.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had a very beautiful experience with you, one that I do not regret. I am very happy. I already have my passport, and I am also registered to vote, thanks to you.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guadalupe is one of the many clients who we have helped from beginning to end and we\u2019re so proud to have been able to help her. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI hope people will be encouraged to become citizens because many people are afraid to become citizens. But look at me\u2014I was afraid too, and look at me now. Thank God and thank you!\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about our New American Welcome Center and how we can help with people\u2019s pathways to citizenship, visit our page here.<\/strong><\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Guadalupe es una mujer de 71 a\u00f1os nacida en M\u00e9xico que lleg\u00f3 a Estados Unidos a los 20 a\u00f1os. Ha sido residente permanente legal durante 37 a\u00f1os. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYo llegu\u00e9 a este pa\u00eds en 1975 y me hice residente en el 1985. En el 84 me agarr\u00f3 Inmigraci\u00f3n porque se enferm\u00f3 mi pap\u00e1 y tuve que salir del pa\u00eds. Gracias a Dios, pude hacerme residente cuando fue la amnist\u00eda.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

En marzo de 2025, acudi\u00f3 al New American Welcome Center del YMCA en busca de ayuda con su solicitud de ciudadan\u00eda. El New American Welcome Center la ayud\u00f3 a pagar los gastos de su solicitud, y el equipo tambi\u00e9n la acompa\u00f1\u00f3 a su entrevista de naturalizaci\u00f3n en julio de 2025 para brindarle servicios de interpretaci\u00f3n. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPara m\u00ed, fueron unas personas maravillosas porque tratan a uno muy bien, le explican a uno todo muy bien, y pues no tengo queja de nada. Gracias a Dios, me ayudaron bastante.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Durante la entrevista, el oficial le pregunt\u00f3 sobre las discrepancias en su solicitud. Ella afirm\u00f3 por error que nunca hab\u00eda sido detenida por las autoridades de inmigraci\u00f3n, ya que hab\u00eda olvidado un breve encuentro con dichas autoridades ocurrido en 1984, hac\u00eda m\u00e1s de 37 a\u00f1os. El oficial interpret\u00f3 esto como una mentira y le indic\u00f3 que esperara una carta en la que se le solicitar\u00eda informaci\u00f3n adicional. 
 
Aproximadamente dos meses despu\u00e9s, recibi\u00f3 una Notificaci\u00f3n de Intenci\u00f3n de Denegaci\u00f3n, no una solicitud de informaci\u00f3n adicional. La notificaci\u00f3n indicaba que no hab\u00eda podido demostrar que hab\u00eda dicho la verdad durante su entrevista. Asustada, regres\u00f3 al YMCA en busca de ayuda. El YMCA le ayudo a redactar una respuesta explicando lo que realmente hab\u00eda sucedido y por qu\u00e9 hab\u00eda olvidado el incidente. 
 
Durante casi un a\u00f1o, no tuvo noticias de USCIS. En ese tiempo, vivi\u00f3 con el temor constante de que le rechazaran su solicitud de ciudadan\u00eda y de que USCIS tomara medidas en su contra, incluida la posibilidad de ser deportada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYa me hab\u00edan dado a decir que no me daban la ciudadan\u00eda y viv\u00eda con miedo de que me iban a deportar.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luego, a finales de junio de 2026, Guadalupe recibi\u00f3 la noticia que tanto hab\u00eda esperado y por la que hab\u00eda rezado: una notificaci\u00f3n para asistir a su ceremonia de juramentaci\u00f3n en julio de 2026. Se le hab\u00eda otorgado la ciudadan\u00eda estadounidense. Nuestro equipo la acompa\u00f1\u00f3 una vez m\u00e1s a la ceremonia para brindarle servicios de interpretaci\u00f3n.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despu\u00e9s, regres\u00f3 al New American Welcome Center, donde la ayudamos a solicitar su pasaporte estadounidense y a registrarse para votar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPara m\u00ed, fueron unas personas maravillosas porque tratan a uno muy bien, le explican a uno todo muy bien, y pues no tengo queja de nada. Gracias a Dios, me ayudaron bastante.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Porque ustedes son unas personas maravillosas. Ustedes ayudan mucho a que uno se anime a hacer ese procedimiento, son muy amables. Inclusive, le recomend\u00e9 dos personas que ya han aplicado con ustedes. A mucha gente ya les he comentado que act\u00faan ah\u00ed, que ah\u00ed es segurito. Y a las preguntas que me dieron, les he hecho muchas copias y las he repartido.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yo con ustedes tuve una muy bonita historia que no me arrepiento. Estoy muy feliz. Ya tengo mi pasaporte, y estoy registrada a votar tambi\u00e9n, gracias a ustedes.\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guadalupe es una de las muchas clientas a las que hemos ayudado de principio a fin, y estamos muy orgullosos de haber podido ayudarla. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQue la gente se anime porque hay mucha gente que tiene miedo de hacerse ciudadano, pero mire, yo ten\u00eda miedo y mire. \u00a1Gracias a Dios y a ustedes!\u201d<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Para obtener m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n sobre nuestro New American Welcome Center y c\u00f3mo podemos ayudar a las personas en su camino hacia la ciudadan\u00eda, visite nuestra p\u00e1gina aqu\u00ed<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By Geovany Gonzaga Guadalupe is a 71-year-old woman born in Mexico who came to the United States at age 20. She has been a lawful permanent resident for 37 years.   \u201cI came to the United States in 1975 looking for a better future. I crossed the border twice, walking through the desert.\u202f In 1984, my […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5861,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-impact-story"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5860"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5860\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5864,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5860\/revisions\/5864"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ymcala.org\/hy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}