New UT Student Nonprofit To Help Austin Immigrants Navigate Costly Citizenship Process

By Sofia Estrada Ferrufino

Reporting Texas

A new University of Texas student nonprofit organization aims to help the immigrant community by providing financial assistance through the expensive U.S. naturalization process.

Emma Estrada, a Plan II Honors student, co-founded 725Dream in 2021 while in high school with a fellow student. 725Dream provides financial help, connections to law firms and partnerships with organizations that offer English as a Second Language classes. 

According to the organization’s website, 725Dream has two missions: increased accessibility and limitless opportunity.

“We know people who have immigrated here, and we know the kind of people they are and how they build up our community,” Estrada said. 

Estrada worked with the League of United Latin American Citizens when her classmate, Neha Gottimukkala, approached her with the idea of 725Dream during their junior year of high school. The organization helped four immigrants with their naturalization process, but went on a hiatus once the founders began college. As of last semester, they have been working toward establishing their chapters at their universities: UT Austin and University of California, Berkeley.

The number ‘725’ represents the cost of the N400 application, or naturalization application, and the bioinformatics fee in 2021. Since then, the price has gone up to over $800, imposing a greater financial burden on immigrants looking to become citizens. ‘Dream’ refers to the American dream of becoming a naturalized citizen

“Seven two five was founded to mitigate that issue and help people who are deserving of citizenship and all of the opportunities that come with being an American citizen, at a much lower cost,” Estrada said.

The organization will host fundraisers, civics exam workshops and volunteer work to serve their communities. Students who join the organization will provide additional support to the cause. 

Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, an immigration attorney, said it is a time of heightened enforcement and difficulty for immigrants. 

“The legal service providers that typically are able to provide free of pro-bono support have all lost federal funding and have had layoffs in their own organizations,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. 

In her 20-year career, Lincoln-Goldfinch says she’s never seen a “time more complicated, more dangerous and more difficult to access” for immigrants than now. She said student organizations have the energy and time to collaborate in bringing support to communities affected by immigration policies. 

“It is a time when immigrants need to feel love and appreciation and admiration more than ever before,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. 

Immigrants seeking help from 725Dream must access a form available on its website in English or Spanish. The form asks applicants for household income, household size and if they receive any form of assistance to determine how much aid they can receive from the organization’s funds. 

Applicants are then informed whether they move forward in the process or if they are not eligible, but Estrada asks that they stay in contact with the organization. 

Kan Law PC in Dallas, Texas, provides expert legal guidance and support to its applicants, according to the 725Dream website. 

Dante Conde, the acting co-vice president of 725Dream and assistant director of community outreach, is working to increase the organization’s visibility around Austin. He reaches out to organizations or law firms to form partnerships or simply introduce themselves. 

Conde conducts thorough research to find organizations or law firms in Austin, Dallas and San Francisco that align with 725Dream’s mission. He said partnerships ensure that they can work towards a shared goal, such as volunteering or hosting community events together.

“Mainly, we hope to impact real people,” Conde said. 

Conde foresees the organization taking a pre-law direction and hopes to have guest speakers, workshops and create a professional network for students who join. 

As a first-generation student, Conde wants to uplift the voices of immigrants through 725Dream’s work. He asks that people be aware of the immigration process. 

“People going through citizenship can be anyone like you and me,” Conde said. 

725Dream hopes to raise $2,000 by the end of the academic year to help at least 12 immigrants in the Austin community to realize their American dream. People interested in donating may access their website or Instagram page, @725dream.ut