Councilmember seeks to double funding for Path to Citizenship program and fund family‑preparedness toolkit

Councilmember Diana Lopez asked fellow members on March 10 to support expanding the city’s Path to Citizenship program and to approve funding for a companion family‑preparedness toolkit.

Lopez said the program began as a 2023 pilot and that, to date, the city has partnered with Catholic Community Services, the Weber County Library and volunteer groups to provide legal assistance, application support and English‑language preparation. She told council that prior cohorts showed high success rates and that removing financial and informational barriers improved outcomes.

Lopez proposed increasing annual program funding from about $21,000 to $42,000 to pay United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) application fees (the standard fee is $710 unless waived), expand cohorts and add translation and outreach. She also proposed a family preparedness package — templates for emergency contacts, powers of attorney, a ‘‘know your rights’’ information sheet and translated material — to be distributed via community partners and workshops. Lopez said the city’s role would be educational and coordinative only; the city would not provide individual legal counsel.

Diana (city staff) and Catholic Community Services staff said the English requirement for the USCIS naturalization test creates logistical constraints: classes are currently taught in English to accommodate participants from many language groups and because the eligibility to test in another language requires specific age‑and‑residency thresholds.

Council discussion focused on partner capacity, whether increased funding would double program capacity, and where funds should be routed. Lopez and staff said partners have capacity if cohorts are staged (for example, two cohorts per year) and emphasized that program partners would provide legal counsel; the city would contract or grant funds to nonprofits for administration rather than provide legal advice directly.

Council took a nonbinding straw poll and indicated support to proceed with further work on the idea; staff will return with details about partner capacity, proposed funding recipients and administrative design.

Provenance: Councilmember Lopez presentation and staff comments; program partners referenced Catholic Community Services and Weber County Library.