Naturalization Ceremony Welcomes New U.S. Citizens in San Angelo

SAN ANGELO, TX — Thirty individuals from nine countries, including El Salvador, Mexico, Morocco, and the United Kingdom, are being sworn in as U.S. citizens during two naturalization ceremonies Wednesday at the O.C. Fisher Federal Building.

The first one began at 10:30 a.m., while the second one is scheduled for 1 p.m. Fifteen candidates will be recognized as U.S. citizens at each ceremony. 

The ceremonies are presided over by the Honorable Magistrate Judge John R. Parker, featuring remarks emphasizing the significance of citizenship and the contributions of immigrants to the United States.

“Today is an opportunity for us to come together, to celebrate, and we convene this court today for the sole purpose of celebrating you, the candidates, and your inspirational journey to citizenship,” Parker said at the ceremony. “But it also gives the rest of us, those who are already citizens, an opportunity to say thank you to the candidates.”

Parker praised the new citizens for their perseverance and dedication, highlighting the challenges they overcame to achieve citizenship.

“It’s difficult for many of us, including myself, to imagine the challenges involved in coming to the country. … I know it’s very hard work to become a citizen of this country. They don’t just give it away. You have to earn it,” he said.

The judge also spoke on the importance of immigrants to the nation’s economy and culture, noting that almost half of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants and that nearly one-third of the country’s doctors are immigrants.

“We represent different heritages and cultures all over the world, but each of us brings rich treasures in terms of our cultures and our perspectives,” Parker said. “The diversity of this country has always been one of our greatest strengths.”

The ceremony concluded with Parker encouraging the new citizens to actively engage in democracy.

“You now stand in the shoes of all those immigrants who came before you,” he said. “The highest honor you can pay them is to actively engage in this democracy as if the faith of this country depended on it.”