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Friday afternoon, the club hosted Lindsay Waite, a retired attorney who currently volunteers at the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center in Easton to help those who are applying for United States citizenship prepare.

Merilus Loulou said Federalsburg’s Haitian community is “in crisis,� with many fearful about what could happen in the county in the coming months when it comes to immigration.

With a new administration in the White House, there has been a push to crack down on illegal immigration, which has caused concern among migrants in the United States.

During her presentation, Waite spoke about the process for naturalization in the U.S. She explained that to gain citizenship, a person must file a Form N-400 application for naturalization, have their biometrics taken, pass a background check, pass the citizenship test and complete an interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. If the person is approved after these steps, they will need to take the Oath of Allegiance at a naturalization ceremony.

Waite said she believes the process costs about $800 to complete.

At the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center, Waite and other volunteers help prepare those with green cards who want to obtain citizenship. She said volunteers help go over the Form N-400 application, review questions that could be on the test and practice reading and writing.

Waite said the citizenship test includes an English portion and also asks questions about democracy, the constitution, history and geography.

Offering some of the more difficult questions to the audience at the event, Waite said the people she works with come in for about 10 weeks to review questions and practice English.

“They learn a lot more than I think my nephew, who went to high school and college, could probably know,� she said, causing people in the audience to laugh.

Claudia White-Cooke and Joyce Dowling, who attended Waite’s presentation, said after hearing some of the questions on the test, they weren’t sure if they’d be able to pass it. White-Cooke said the process to become a citizen seems complicated and the people who apply are really committed.

When one person at the event asked if the new presidential administration has affected the naturalization process at all, Waite — who said she is not an expert on what’s happening at the national level — said she did notice a change in priority for legal entry into the U.S. from Venezuela.

“To a limit, a certain number of people from Venezuela were being given entry legally and now that’s stopped,� she said.

Waite said she believes the naturalization process in the U.S. will continue, however. She said people still want to be American citizens.

“And I and others will do what we can to help,� she said.

Those who are interested in volunteering with the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center or want to learn more can call 877-772-9832 or visit .