Department of Justice-certified services for immigrants, refugees
LINCOLN (SNR) – Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska (CSS) received a $25,000 grant from Tyson Foods to support their “Employer Outreach Partnership” program.
The program supports providing comprehensive immigration services to refugee and immigrant communities of southern Nebraska.
“We are proud of our diverse team at Tyson, which comprises many immigrants who are undertaking the complicated process of obtaining U.S. citizenship,” said Trish Reimers, human resources director of Tyson’s Waverly-Tecumseh plant. “We are proud to support CSS’s program to offer support and ease the burden of achieving U.S. citizenship.”
At the Waverly-Tecumseh plant, Tyson team members will be offered four to six full days of onsite immigration consultations for Waverly and Tecumseh employees, as well as assistance in completing immigration forms such as applications for work authorization (I-765), U.S. Citizenship (N-400), Permanent Residence (I-485) and additional forms.
CSS began resettling refugees to the community after World War II. Today, they continue to serve families from Vietnam, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan.
Additionally, CSS has been certified by the Department of Justice to practice immigration law since 1999.
Drew Miller is the DOJ-accredited representative for CSS. While conducting socially-distant immigration consultations at the plant, a woman approached – wearing a mask and other protective wear so that only her eyes were exposed. Miller recognized her nametag on the front of her protective safety helmet, however, and recognized her from CSS.
The woman, a Karen refugee, arrived with her mother in the United States in May 2016 after spending years in a refugee camp in Thailand. The Karen people, a minority from Burma, have been the victims of an ongoing civil war for more than half a century.
When the woman and her mother first got off of the plane at the Lincoln Municipal Airport, Miller was a refugee resettlement case manager at the time, and was there to welcome them.
Over the next three months, CSS helped both women enroll in English classes, adjust to life in the United States, and even secure a full-time job at Tyson Foods.
After consulting with Miller in October 2020, the young woman realized she was eligible to apply early for U.S. citizenship in February 2021, and retained CSS for free legal services through the grant with Tyson. With a powerful command of the English language and an impeccable record in the United States, this individual is more than prepared to naturalize and become a United States citizen through the partnership between Tyson and CSS.
Since the grant began in 2020, CSS has provided 76 in-person consultations and is currently representing six Tyson team members for their citizenship applications – with one recently approved. They have represented two team members for their green card applications, one petitioning for his wife in Myanmar, and three work permit renewals.
CSS has also assisted with three citizenship certificate applications for children of team members, and two citizenship applications for spouses of team members. Recently, CSS received word that the petition for a team member’s wife in Myanmar was approved, and her immigrant visa process may begin.
All legal representation was made possible due to Tyson’s ability to allow employees to consult with Miller during their shift, rather than requiring team members to take time outside of work to contact CSS. Many more individuals will become eligible for immigration benefits, namely citizenship and green cards in the coming months.
