Employer eases path to citizenship
A businessman who operates a statewide chain of pizzerias and has invested millions of dollars into redeveloping old Lawrence mills is pushing a new initiative aimed at aiding his immigrant workers to obtain United States citizenship.
And he wants area businesses to join him.
Salvatore Lupoli, president and CEO of Lupoli Cos. in Lawrence, said the new Lawrence Citizenship Initiative could serve as a model for Massachusetts businesses struggling with keeping a stable workforce.
It is a partnership between his company, which will pay for attorney and application fees, and various nonprofits that will offer citizenship classes.
The move comes as the nation debates the status of millions of undocumented workers throughout the United States.
Under the plan, which is also sponsored by the city of Lawrence, Lupoli will help cover the cost for 10 of his employees in their quest to obtain citizenship while they learn English and American history.
Meanwhile, groups like the Fish Family Foundation and the Leadership and Literacy Foundation will provide education and training for the workers as they address their immigration status.
Mayor Michael J. Sullivan called the initiative a "bold step" and praised Lupoli for spearheading the effort in Lawrence, a city with long ties to immigration.
"We really feel we are going to change people's lives," said Lupoli. "We're not talking about a program to take illegal immigrants and bring them through the process. . . . We're talking about legal immigrants [who] want to continue to stay and produce productive lives in this city and state."
Currently, many working-class immigrants cannot afford to apply for citizenship because application and attorney fees are so high and English classes are expensive, Lupoli said.
"For anyone who is working 40 to 50 hours a week, those fees may as well be $1 million," he said. "They just can't afford it."
Abby Colbert, a lawyer with the Irish Immigration Center, said the cost of applying for citizenship varies depending on attorneys' fees and what documents the individual needs. She said it can cost some immigrants thousands of dollars.
But with the new initiative, area businesses can see what happens once those economic barriers are lifted and employers invest in loyal employees, said Joseph J. Bevilacqua, president and CEO of the Merrimack Valley Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, the initiative will create a one-stop process for immigrants who often get discouraged from applying for citizenship because of federal red tape, said Bevilacqua, referring to long lines and long waiting periods.
"Immigration today is one of the most serious issues facing our companies," said Bevilacqua. "They want to find a way to help their people become legal citizens and stay, work, and grow in their companies. This new initiative may be the vehicle to do that."
Lupoli unveiled the plan at his Lawrence headquarters with Sullivan and lawyers from the Irish Immigration Center, an immigrant advocacy group.
For weeks, the groups and city officials have been discussing how to create a pilot initiative in a city where 70 percent of residents are Latino and more than a third of the population is foreign born. Lupoli said he and other business leaders have also been trying to tackle the issue of employee turnover and a declining workforce while also experiencing a rise in immigrant hirings.
For example, Lupoli said, more than 50 percent of his 400 workers are immigrants.
Larry Fish, head of the Fish Family Foundation, a group that helps immigrants become citizens, said he hopes that the pilot program eventually moves beyond just helping 10 people and expands to help hundreds. "We don't know how long it's going to take from the point of applying for citizenship and getting tested," Fish said. "But this is a start."
Lupoli said his company is putting aside $10,000 for the initiative to start and may have to raise more funds, depending on attorneys' and application fees.
To apply for help under the initiative, workers must be employed at the same company for at least six months and be legal residents. No plans have been proposed on how long employees must stay with their current companies once they receive citizenship.
However, Lupoli said how long employees stay with a company depends on the company. "We have to do our best as a company to keep our employees," he said. "This is one way to do it."
Russell Contreras can be reached at rcontreras@globe.com. 