When Daniela’s father opened the letter confirming his citizenship ceremony, she cried. Not just from pride, but from relief.

“I finally felt at ease,” she said. “For the first time, I knew I wouldn’t lose my mom or dad.”

For more than two decades, Norma and Manuel had lived in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — a humanitarian designation granted to citizens of El Salvador after a devastating earthquake in 2000. It allowed them to stay and work legally in the country, but it didn’t guarantee permanence. Every few years, they had to reapply and wait, uncertain whether the program would be renewed.

And that uncertainty came with a cost.

While Daniela’s parents renewed their paperwork and stayed within the lines, another Salvadoran family they knew wasn’t as fortunate. Recently, a longtime friend of Norma’s — a mother of two — was deported after a routine traffic stop for running a red light. “She was gone just like that,” Daniela said quietly. “And that could have been my mom.”

Daniela’s parents had arrived in Houston in 2000, just before the earthquake that leveled parts of El Salvador. They had come on visitor visas, intending only to stay a short while. But when the disaster struck, going home no longer felt possible. Like tens of thousands of others, they applied for TPS and began building a life in Houston.

They worked hard, learned English, and raised two daughters — Daniela and her sister — both of whom would go on to graduate college. Norma, who was college educated in her native country, found work caring for children and the elderly; Manuel took on multiple jobs, eventually becoming a contractor known for fixing anything with his hands.

“They built a life here,” Daniela said. “But the fear never really went away. One wrong turn, one policy change — it could all disappear.”

Things changed for the family around 2016. Daniela’s sister, who had become a U.S. citizen through marriage, was able to petition for her parents to obtain permanent residency. Years later, they qualified for citizenship.

Daniela had already been encouraging others in her community to naturalize through her outreach work with a local immigrant-serving coalition. So when it came time for her parents to begin the process, she became their biggest advocate.

She helped them fill out their applications, attended classes with them at the YMCA, and connected them with citizenship navigators who guided them through interviews and forms.

“I’d been helping others apply for years,” she said. “But to do it for my own family — that was something else.”

When her father’s approval letter arrived, the family celebrated together. Weeks later, her mother received hers. “It was tears and hugs all over again,” Daniela said.

For Daniela, the experience underscored why she does this work. Her job as a community connector and hotline operator puts her in touch with hundreds of residents each year who dream of taking that same final step. Many are longtime TPS holders, green card holders, or DACA recipients who have called Houston home for decades but still live with uncertainty.

Through her efforts — and those of dozens of local partners — the Naturalize Now, Houston! campaign has been making citizenship more accessible than ever. The city is home to more than 300,000 lawful permanent residents eligible to naturalize, and local groups are helping them do it through free legal assistance, citizenship classes, and one-on-one support.

In July 2024, more than 3,300 people from 121 countries took the oath of citizenship at one of the largest naturalization ceremonies in Houston’s history. Nationwide, over 818,000 new Americans were sworn in that year — a record that shows just how many people are stepping forward to secure their futures.

When Daniela thinks about her parents now, she sees more than two names on certificates — she sees the end of a long chapter.

“My parents came here with nothing certain except their faith and their work ethic,” she said. “Now, they belong. They have rights. They have a voice.”

For her, the work continues — one phone call, one family, one application at a time.

Learn more:
Residents eligible for citizenship can find free resources and upcoming clinics at NPNA.org and BecomeACitizenToday.com.