U.S. CITIZENSHIP AND FEMA ELIGIBILITY
[https://www.fema.gov/fact-sheet/us-citizenship-and-fema-eligibility-0]


Release Date: 
Jun 29, 2024 

FEMA is committed to helping all eligible New Mexicans recover from
the damage they experienced during the South Fork and Salt Fires and
flooding. This includes U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals and
qualified non-citizens.

Homeowners and renters in the MESCALERO APACHE TRIBE and in
LINCOLN and OTERO counties who were impacted by this disaster can
apply for assistance from FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program
(IHP). You or a member of your household must be a U.S. citizen,
non-citizen national or qualified non-citizen. 

If you do not meet the status of either U.S. citizen, non-citizen
national or qualified non-citizen, your household may still apply for
and be considered for IHP assistance if: 

	* Another adult member of your household meets the eligibility
criteria and certifies their citizenship status during the
registration process, _or,_   
	* You are the parent or guardian of a minor child who is a U.S.
citizen, non-citizen national or a qualified non-citizen who applies
for assistance on behalf of the child, if the child lives in the same
household. The parent or legal guardian must register as the
co-applicant, and the minor child must be under age 18 at the time the
disaster occurred, beginning June 17 and continuing. _FEMA DOES NOT
COLLECT INFORMATION ON THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF OTHER HOUSEHOLD
MEMBERS._

All individuals, regardless of citizenship status, who have been
impacted by this presidentially declared disaster are eligible for
short-term, non-cash, in-kind emergency disaster relief programs.
These include search and rescue, medical care, shelter, food and
water. 

QUALIFIED NON-CITIZENS

“Qualified non-citizen” includes:

	* A legal permanent resident (“green card” holder).
	* An asylee, refugee or a non-citizen whose deportation is being
withheld.
	* A non-citizen paroled into the U.S. for at least one year.
	* A non-citizen granted conditional entry (per law in effect prior to
April 1, 1980).
	* A Cuban or Haitian entrant.
	* Certain non-citizens subjected to extreme cruelty or who have been
a victim of a severe form of human trafficking, including persons with
a “T” or “U” visa.
	* Non-citizens whose children have been abused and non-citizen
children whose parent has been abused who fit certain criteria.

NON-CITIZEN NATIONALS

A non-citizen national is a person born in an outlying possession of
the U.S. (e.g., American Samoa) on or after the date the U.S. acquired
the possession, or a person whose parents are U.S. non-citizen
nationals. All U.S. citizens are U.S. nationals; however, not every
U.S. national is a U.S. citizen.

QUALIFIED MINOR CHILDREN

If you do not meet the citizenship or immigration status at the time
of applications, your household may still apply for certain forms of
federal assistance if the parent or legal guardian of a minor child
who is a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national or qualified non-citizen
applies for assistance on behalf of the minor child, so long as they
live in the same household.

The parent or legal guardian must apply as the co-applicant, and the
minor child must be under 18 at the time disaster occurred.

RESOURCES 

For more information, see Citizenship and Immigration Status
Requirements for Federal Public Benefits, available in multiple
languages, at
fema.gov/assistance/individual/program/citizenship-immigration-status
[https://www.fema.gov/assistance/individual/program/citizenship-immigration-status].

If you’re unsure of your immigration status, talk to an immigration
expert to learn if your status falls within the immigration status
requirements for FEMA disaster assistance.

Regardless of citizenship status, help may also be available at these
nonprofit organizations:

	* Call 800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or visit
 redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter.html
[http://www.redcross.org/find-your-local-chapter.html].
	* Catholic Charities of Southern New Mexico; all 575-622-1636
[tel:5756221636] to schedule an appointment.
	* Visit nvoad.org/ [http://www.nvoad.org/] to learn about other
voluntary organizations.

APPLY FOR FEMA DISASTER ASSISTANCE

To be eligible for any FEMA Individual Assistance program, you must
apply to FEMA. There are four ways to apply:

	* Go online to disasterassistance.gov/
[https://www.disasterassistance.gov/]. 
	* Download the FEMA App
[https://www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products] for
mobile devices at fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products
[https://www.fema.gov/about/news-multimedia/mobile-products]. 
	* Call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
MT. Help is available in most languages. If you use a relay service,
such as video relay (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give
FEMA your number for that service.
	* Visit the Disaster Recovery Center in Roswell. For location and
hours, go online to fema.gov/drc.
[https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator]

For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance,
visit youtube.com/watch= WZGpWI2RCNw
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZGpWI2RCNw].