HAZLETON -- Part of our area has been at the center of the immigration debate for years.
Hazleton grabbed national attention when the city passed an ordinance designed to crackdown on illegal immigrants.
On Friday, many of the immigrants in that city rejoiced calling the president's reforms "a historic moment."
It took Rafael Ramirez 18 years to get into the United States. Now, five years later, he told us he and his family are still trying to become U.S. citizens.
"I'm happy because I got my documents right now but I need another person in my family to receive the documentation too," says Ramirez.
Ramirez is just one of the students in the Dominican House's English class in Hazleton, a class that's critical for someone to gain U.S. citizenship.
"I need everybody to respect me so I can respect everybody," says Ramirez.
And before President Obama's move to reform immigration, it's a respect people weren't getting.
"Let me tell you this - we get a lot of people with their ID number working in the U.S.," says Victor Perez, President, Dominican House. "You know what an ID number is? It's a number that the IRS gives to the people to work in the United States of America - people that are illegals in the United States. How can you be illegal in one way and legal in another?"
On average every month, this non profit processes anywhere from 80 to 100 people trying to become U.S. citizens.
Ingrid Martinez is a social worker at the house and an immigrant herself. She became a citizen back in 1996 and now spends her time helping those get where she is.
"For me, it's about having the whole family together," says Martinez. "I'm going through the process, it's a tough thing to have your family separated."