Daysi Vivar

Loyola Immigrant Justice Clinic Client Secures U.S. Citizenship Despite COVID-19 Delays

Daysi LIJC Client

Daysi has been a beloved member of the Dolores Mission Church community for over three decades. She makes a humble living as a street vendor outside of the church gates, where she sells an assortment of snacks and drinks. Daysi has been a lawful permanent resident for the last 15 years and decided to apply for naturalization because she wants to vote in the 2020 presidential election.

While Daysi completed grade school in El Salvador, she worried about the civics exam requirement for naturalization. Nevertheless, determined to cast her vote this fall, she studied and prepared for all 100 civics questions by listening to them online and reviewing them with members of her church family.

After a successful interview right before the stay-at-home order in March, Daysi, like many, waited for the process to pick up so she could participate in the oath ceremony and receive her naturalization certificate. At the end of June, Daysi—accompanied by LIJC Paralegal Daisy Chávez-Mendez, who served as her interpreter—completed the final step in the process to become a U.S. citizen when she took the naturalization oath.

We are proud to know that Daysi is now a U.S. citizen and will exercise her rights and cast her first vote this November. We celebrate Daysi and the 29 other LIJC clients who are on their path to U.S. citizenship.

The COVID-19 pandemic has stalled an already backlogged system, but we are resolute. We sustain and reunite families. We help those who do not have the resources to help themselves. And we support our friends and neighbors on their pathway to citizenship. If you would like to join us in our mission and make a gift to LIJC, you can do so here.