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Rochester immigrants share struggles of gaining citizenship 'the right way'

On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, Rochester immigrants and support organizations navigate an increasingly complex path to U.S. citizenship as the second Trump administration implements restrictive immigration policies.
The Trump administration issued Proclamation 10998 on December 23, 2025, restricting entry for foreign nationals from 39 countries plus the Palestinian Authority, while new PARRIS interviews require refugees with green cards to undergo re-processing.
Adam Jarvis, director of refugee services for Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota, said his organization pivoted to helping those with legal status, noting, "We anticipated" the changes and sought grants to hire staff.
Rochester residents like Mechwa Meermarew, who arrived from Kenya, and Gavin Oliver, who immigrated from Northern Ireland, exemplify the citizenship journey, balancing pride with relief at securing legal status.
Legal advocate Stohl Powell warns the process has become significantly more difficult in the last year, stating, "You could be doing everything right, but your application isn't being processed" due to heightened risks.

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Rochester immigrants share struggles of gaining citizenship 'the right way'

ROCHESTER — It's not that Mechwa Meermarew doesn't remember Kenya, the country where he was born. It's just, on so many levels, he has no reason to go back. Mechwa, who became a U.S. citizen about a year ago, loves the U.S. After all, he's got a job — he works as a CNA at Mayo Clinic — and as he is studying nursing at RCTC, someday he'll have an even better job. But for Mechwa and his family, Kenya was never really home. His parents, members of …

5 days ago·Cherokee County, United States

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