Feds cut $300,000 grant for citizenship assistance in Nevada, citing ‘sanctuary cities'
The Asian Community Development Council — based in Las Vegas and Reno — was notified on March 27 that it was among groups that would no longer be receiving federal grant money to fund citizenship education classes and services. (Getty Images)
Hundreds of lawful permanent residents in Nevada will lose access to critical services that help immigrants become U.S. citizens after $300,000 in federal funding was pulled from the state last week.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the agency has cut all grants awarded through its Citizenship and Integration Grant Program in response to a March 21 agency-wide directive by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to 'restrict grant funding to sanctuary cities.'
'It's no secret that many organizations funded by USCIS grants over the years actively undermined the rule of law and integrity of our nation's immigration system by supporting sanctuary cities and open borders,' said a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an email Monday.
The term 'sanctuary city' often describes jurisdictions with law enforcement agencies that refuse to some degree to cooperate with ICE. While there is no standard definition, the Center for Immigration Studies, whose research is often cited approvingly by anti-immigrant activists and politicians, does not include any Nevada jurisdictions among its inventory of 'sanctuary cities.'
The Asian Community Development Council — based in Las Vegas and Reno — was notified on March 27 that the USCIS decided to permanently terminate a $300,000 grant awarded to the nonprofit in November. The funding would have provided citizenship education classes and services to more than 200 individuals during the 24-month grant period.
'These classes would have provided rigorous background on U.S. history and government, and the naturalization process. The program was designed to equip students with the essential skills and knowledge required to successfully navigate the naturalization process and obtain U.S. citizenship,' said Vida Lin, president and founder of the Asian Community Development Council in a statement.
The Asian Community Development Council was one of 43 organizations across 23 states to receive a Citizenship and Integration Grant from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2024, for a total of about $12.6 million in federal funding nationally.
Lin said if the grant is not reinstated it will jeopardize services in Nevada that help lawful permanent residents become U.S. citizens, including application assistance, English language instruction and civics education.
Since the Asian Community Development Council was first established in 2015, it has grown to meet several community needs. The nonprofit has supported immigrant communities in Nevada through food assistance, health insurance enrollment assistance, college readiness boot camps for local youth, and community events like the Asian Night Market, which showcases local Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander -owned businesses.
However, the nonprofit has recently had to reduce its staff members 'due to the uncertainty of funding at all levels,' said Lin.
'This is the harsh reality that many nonprofits across Nevada and our country are facing currently as we try to navigate this new administration. Nevadans will continue to lose access to services and jobs due to decisions like the one DHS made last week,' Lin said.
The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program was first established in 2009 under president Barack Obama's administration as a way to tackle the backlog of U.S. citizenship applications and administrative burdens.
In a letter earlier this month to the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Democratic House members — including Nevada Rep. Dina Titus — said the grant funded vital services that helped reduce the naturalization backlogs in recent years.
According to the letter, the grant program has helped reduce errors and delays for lawful permanent residents seeking U.S. citizenship by equipping eligible applicants with the tools to navigate the naturalization process more effectively.
'Cutting funding for this program will only increase administrative inefficiencies and add to existing case backlogs,' reads the letter.
However, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary characterized the grant program as a 'gravy train' that could potentially support unauthorized immigration.
'Taxpayer funded programs that that (sic) support, or have the potential to support, illegal immigration through funding illegal activities or support for illegal aliens are out of step with the President and Secretary Noem's priorities — as well as common sense. The gravy train is over,' said a spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in an email Monday.
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