The Republican Party is stepping up its efforts to help new residents obtain citizenship. The Republican National Committee (RNC) held a graduation ceremony on Tuesday in Doral, Florida, in which it publicized among the Hispanic community the steps to follow to legalize their stay in the country.
The National Committee have outlined details of a new civic training program that they have launched that prepares legal residents for their naturalization exam which in turn, will allow them to become U.S. citizens and thus be able to cast their first vote.
RNC spokeswoman Nicole Morales explained that this is part of a long-term effort by the Republican Party that goes beyond electoral approach to Hispanic audiences ahead of the midterms, according to the Washington Times.
This is part of our long-term outreach, with community centers but also with this program (...) We are really investing in these communities and uplifting these communities and not just going a month before the election to [pedir] votes.
The Republican Party's civics training program prepares legal residents for the naturalization test, which will enable them to become U.S. citizens and help build a fully integrated Hispanic-American community in this country. "This is part of our long-term outreach, with community centers and also with this program," the RNC spokeswoman was quoted as saying by The Washington Times.
The graduates of the program were greeted by Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican from Florida and daughter of Venezuelan exiles.
The Hispanic vote in the midterm elections
The naturalization assistance event coincides with the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and has come just over a month before the midterm elections.
In recent times, the Republican Party has been closing the gap with the Democratic Party in Hispanic voting intentions. As the November 8 midterm elections approach, more and more Hispanics disapprove of the Biden Administration's performance and believe it is time to put their trust in the GOP to change the direction of the country. In this sense, the Republican Party wants to make it easier for Hispanics to vote with actions such as the one carried out in Doral.
On the other hand, the Republican Party has deepened this rapprochement by establishing a record number of Hispanic candidates for the midterms. Thirty Hispanic Republicans are running for the House of Representatives. The GOP currently has 13 Hispanic members of Congress in the House. Mayra Flores' is an example that inspires the Republican Party. The Texas congresswoman won a seat in the House of Representatives in a special election in a traditionally Democratic fiefdom. Her conservative values fit perfectly with a Hispanic community that the Republican Party wants to win over as the basis for regaining leadership of the nation.
The GOP itself explains the convergence between its ideals and those of the Hispanic-American community:
From fighting for lower taxes, religious freedom or school choice for students, Latino leaders have been instrumental to our cause. Together, we have passed legislation that will empower the Latino community and ensure a better future.
