Chicago lawyer officially becoming US citizen Tuesday

When people head to the polls Tuesday, Karen Villagomez will cast her ballot for the first time ever right after becoming a U.S. citizen that same day.

She was a so-called ‘dreamer.'

Villagomez was born in Mexico, but has been living in Chicago since she was two years old.

Now, at 33 years old and a permanent resident through marriage, she urges others not to take the right to vote for granted.

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"Not everybody has this privilege, and even people that live here and that you work besides don't, you know, can't exercise that right. And so just hopefully that will help just reevaluate and maybe, I don't know encourage others to use it," said Villagomez.

Once threatened with deportation, Villagomez is now a lawyer in Chicago.

She says when she votes Tuesday, the rights of immigrants and asylum seekers will be on her mind.

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