Immigrants become US citizens in Paterson NJ ceremony

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Joe Malinconico | Paterson Press

PATERSON — Minutes after becoming a citizen of the United States on Thursday, Yesilbert Veras of Paterson filled out a voter registration form.

“I love the United States,” said Veras, one of 40 immigrants who received their naturalization papers in a citizenship ceremony at the Great Falls on Thursday. “I want to vote,” she added.

Others who took the Oath of Allegiance followed Veras to the voter registration table. There was a woman from Costa Rica who came to this country 30 years ago. A man from the Dominican Republic who has been in Paterson for five years. A woman from Bangladesh who lives in Totowa.

By the end of the event, almost 30 of the new citizens were also new voters, and many of them said they were looking forward to casting their ballots in the Nov. 5 presidential election.

“I want to help my country,” Carlos Moreno said, explaining his eagerness to vote. “This is what you do when you’re a citizen.”

Immigration and the presidential campaign Veras, Moreno, and others who became citizens at Thursday’s event said they have been following the battle for the White House between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Some of them were very much aware that immigration has been one of the hot issues during a campaign in which people who are new to this country have been both vilified and glorified.

Guillermo Rodriguez, who came from the Dominican Republic seven years ago, said he was frustrated by the Trump campaign’s statements on migrants. “Things are out of place when it comes to the Republicans. I think we have more opportunities" with Harris.

Moreno agreed. “I think the Democrats’ focus on immigrants is better,” he said.

But Veras had a different opinion, saying she concurred with Trump’s assertions that the Democrats have made things too easy for newcomers to this country.

“They are giving all this help to immigrants, but not to the people who need it, United States citizens,” Veras stated.

From Algeria to Ukraine, 16 countries represented Thursday’s event focused on the ideals of democracy, rather than partisan political differences. Before taking the citizenship oath, participants were asked to stand when they heard the name of their country of origin.

The roll call started with Algeria and ended with the Ukraine. In all, 16 different countries were represented at the ceremony. The Dominican Republic had by far the largest contingent, with 19 new citizens from that nation.

In 2023, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services administered the oath of allegiance to more than 878,000 people, officials said. Dozens of those ceremonies in recent years were held at national parks, including the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Ellis Island, and Stonewall in New York City.

Laura Troy, chairperson of the New Jersey chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, welcomed the new citizens in her speech during the ceremony.

“We believe in the strength that diversity brings to out nation,” Troy declared. “You have made our nation stronger by joining it.”

The event featured some levity as Mayor Andre Sayegh — whose office had set up the voter registration table — led the new citizens in a karaoke rendition of Neil Diamond’s, “Coming to America.” Those who didn’t sing along — most of the people in the audience — waved miniature American flags in time to the music.

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