About 100 Minnesota residents gathered on the 15th floor of the U.S. District Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis on a cloudy Friday morning and walked out of the building a couple hours later as new citizens.
Many expressed relief, excitement and joy after taking their oath. Some told Sahan Journal that family members pushed them to apply for citizenship as President Donald Trump’s administration ramped up efforts targeting immigrants across the country. They also said the opportunity to make their voice heard by voting motivated them to complete the process.
During the naturalization ceremonies, many new citizens waved U.S. flags, smiling proudly in front of cameras. They sang the national anthem and held a hand over their heart to pledge allegiance. The U.S. District of Minnesota and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) organized two naturalization ceremonies in a federal courtroom, with benches full of friends and families cheering those taking their oath. Some families drove for hours from their homes in greater Minnesota to attend. New citizens at the naturalization ceremonies represented more than 20 different countries.
RELATED STORIES
In the final step, USCIS Lead Immigration Officer Tsuma Ngala stood in front of the crowd in the courtroom and asked U.S. District Judge Shannon Elkins to make an official ruling granting the naturalization applicants to be U.S. citizens.
“And officer Tsuma, your motion is granted,” Elkins said. “You are all now United States citizens.”
The crowd of supporters erupted in applause. During her speech, Elkins said the country is “so special” because of its different cultures.
“I think we’ve all recognized lately how important community can be,” she said.
The number of oaths and ceremonies has significantly dropped this year compared to last year, according to USCIS data. Starting last fall, many Minnesota residents had their naturalization appointments and ceremonies cancelled at the last minute with no explanation.
Many new citizens at Friday’s naturalization ceremonies were informed of their ceremony date only a few weeks ago. The abrupt cancellations and fewer oath ceremonies are one of the many ways the Trump administration has narrowed the path to citizenship. In the last year, Trump has attempted to strip birthright citizenship, added more questions to the civics test and implemented policies for USCIS officers to tighten standards on evaluating “good moral character” for naturalization applicants.
Here’s a look at how the most recent new U.S. citizens are feeling about citizenship now:
Naresh Jaboo, 62
Jaboo, a St. Paul resident, immigrated to the United States more than 40 years ago from Guyana in South America. He said he decided to become a U.S. citizen after his two daughters raised concerns about political climate.
What pleased him most was his expanded ability to travel: “[I can] go to every part in the world and have no problems with immigration,” he said. “I’m better than I was yesterday.”
Franco Ortiz, 30
Ortiz, an immigrant from Mexico, said Friday’s naturalization ceremony was years in the making and he feels “accomplished.” He started as a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient at 18 years old, eventually securing lawful permanent residency, also known as a green card, before applying for U.S. citizenship. As a new citizen, he said he’s excited to vote.
He said he traveled about an hour and a half from his hometown of Blooming Prairie with his family to the naturalization ceremony.
“Honestly, I feel more relieved, more safe. Obviously coming from DACA or a permanent resident, you weren’t sure but now you’re guaranteed to be here,” he told Sahan Journal. “It’s a good relief.”
@sahanjournal The state gained 100 new U.S. citizens on Friday at two ceremonies in federal court after a period during Operation Metro Surge when many naturalization appointments and ceremonies were canceled at the last minute. Video by Dymanh Chhoun #Minneapolis #NaturalizedUSCitizen #immigrants #citizenship
♬ original sound Sahan Journal
Zenia Gomez, 39
Gomez said achieving the milestone of U.S. citizenship was a “dream” and she was crying when the federal judge declared all naturalization applicants to be U.S. citizens in the courtroom. Gomez, a Shoreview resident, started the naturalization process in 2016. The process took even longer because of COVID-19 and pause on naturalization ceremonies the past few months.
Gomez, 39, is from El Salvador and attended the ceremony with friends and her husband of 13 years, Jamie Gomez.
“I was crying because I know how many people wish to be in my feet and this is for me,” she said.
Bijay Tamang, 27
As the youngest and last person in his family to become a U.S. citizen, Tamang said he felt “shaky” during the ceremony, but he is now elated that his naturalization process is finally over. Reflecting on how his viewpoint has changed about citizenship, he said he feels a greater sense of responsibility. He came to the United States at age 16 from Nepal.
“Being a citizen is not just about the benefits, but also about the responsibility to be able to register to vote and to make a difference for this country,” he said. “I just feel like that’s one of the exciting things for sure.”
Gaurang Shah, 54
Shah, an immigrant from India, lives in Woodbury with his wife and 15-year-old son. He and his wife decided to officially apply for citizenship last July, adding that his wife was a little reluctant but changed her mind out of concern given the current political climate.
“Now that I have a voice in the political system, through voting I can raise my voice and accordingly give the opinion for justice for all,” he said.
Irma Márquez Trapero, 35
Márquez Trapero, an immigrant from Mexico, said the ceremony brought her to tears because of her parents’ sacrifices and her own difficult, long journey to reach citizenship. As a new citizen, she said excited to have access to the same benefits as her peers, like getting the chance to vote.
“I think it’s about continuing to have that voice, express that voice and do it without fear,” she said.
