The city of Plano has offered a citizenship workshop for its large immigrant community for almost two decades. And this year鈥檚 workshop had a big turnout 鈥� at a time when the second Trump administration is launching many draconian immigration measures.
Plano ISD鈥檚 Sockwell Center鈥檚 large parking lot was almost full on Saturday.
The room smells like Indian food 鈥� it鈥檚 free from a local restaurant. People are standing in a long line to grab a plate. They鈥檙e chatting in different languages while they wait.
Plano is known for its diversity. The city is about 23% Asian and around 16% Hispanic according to data from the
Chanda Parbhoo said it wasn鈥檛 always that way. She remembers growing up in Plano as one of a few South Asian student in her class.
鈥淓very corner in Plano has either a grocery store or has a clothing store or some kind of South Asian business, so we've seen a dramatic change,鈥� Parbhoo said.
Parbhoo founded and the to advocate for South Asians in Texas. Her organization helps register people at citizenship ceremonies. Parbhoo said it brings back memories of when she became a naturalized citizen in 1984.
鈥淚t catches me by the heart every time going into that ceremony and just listening to the oath, it just kind of comes back like a movie reel,鈥� she said.
The citizenship process has several requirements. Plano鈥檚 Multicultural Outreach Roundtable hosts its annual workshop to guide green card holders through it. Volunteers at the event pass out boxes of red flashcards for studying.
There are pro bono attorneys giving presentations about the citizenship test and background check. A woman is translating the attorney鈥檚 presentation in Spanish into an earpiece that鈥檚 connected to listening devices.
Green card holders are legal permanent residents. They can apply for citizenship after a few years depending on if they got their green card through work or marriage.
North Texas immigration attorney Michelle Saenz-Rodriguez said the immigration process 鈥� whether it鈥檚 citizenship or a work visa 鈥� is complicated.
And then President Donald Trump issued dozens of executive orders on immigration.
鈥淚t's absolute craziness,鈥� Saenz-Rodriguez said. 鈥淲e looked at this and we're like, wait, what? What am I looking at here?鈥�
Many of those executive orders focused on people who are in the United State They鈥檝e included building a wall with Mexico and sending troops to aid enforcement. blocked an order that would鈥檝e ended birthright citizenship for children born to parents without legal status.
Anush Arumugam said he鈥檚 concerned about the executive orders. He immigrated on a student visa and now has a green card through work and is eligible to apply for citizenship, which is why he went to the workshop.
Arumugam said the public has misconceptions about immigrants.
鈥淎 common thing is connecting immigration and crime, which is not a thing at all,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd another common thing is to connect illegal immigration and legal immigration. There should be clear separation of that.鈥�
But Saenz-Rodriguez said many legal immigrants are still worried about how the Trump administration鈥檚 immigration policies will impact their status 鈥� even naturalized citizens.
She said it鈥檚 hard for advocates and experts to keep up with the president鈥檚 executive orders on immigration and how they鈥檒l impact their clients. But Saenz-Rodriguez said the chaos is intentional.
Saenz-Rodriguez says advocates are playing triage as they respond to the new policies, something they鈥檒l have to keep up for the next few years.
鈥淵ou become numb because of everything that's coming out, and it really is like drinking water out of a fire hose,鈥� she said.
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Caroline Love is a corps member for 四虎影院.
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