It was a joyous and celebratory day at the Scotts Bluff National Monument, as 13 residents who have been living in the Panhandle are sworn in as naturalized U.S. citizens.
This was the first time that a naturalization ceremony was held at the Scotts Bluff National Monument, and Chief Ranger Justin Caweizel said that the ceremony resonated with him with similarities to the pioneers that traversed these lands nearly 150 years ago.
Scottsbluff Mayor Jeanne McKerrigan and Gering Mayor Kent Ewing were also on hand to congratulate these men and women on the hard work they put forth to becoming U.S. citizens.
This ceremony couldn’t have been possible without Valeria Rodriguez of Empowering Families and the Immigrant Legal Center. It was her who reached out to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service of Denver to consider having the event at the Monument, and she also shared her personal story on becoming a Naturalized U.S. citizen to those in attendance.
Next, the 13 honorees, who hail from Mexico, Cuba, Honduras, Peru and India, took their oath to become citizens. Afterwards, they said the Pledge of Allegiance, and heard recorded congratulations from U.S. President Joseph Biden.
At the end of the ceremony, Andrew Lambrecht, the Field Office Director with the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service office in Denver commended our newest citizens. Lambrecht noted that it’s a challenging process to become naturalized citizens, and as a permanent resident green card holder, they were still able to enjoy many of the rights of a citizen without becoming naturalized.
Following the ceremony, the 13 honorees were encouraged to register to vote and become part of the democratic process.
