Thirty-four people from New York’s Northern District became U.S. citizens Thursday, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance as federal immigration enforcement continues to unsettle immigrant communities locally and nationwide.
Families filled the courtroom as the Syracuse University Hendricks Chapel Choir sang the national anthem and “America the Beautiful.”
The naturalization ceremony, held at Syracuse University College of Law in Dineen Hall, carried a mix of celebration and anxiety. Several naturalized citizens asked all attending media to not photograph or film them out of concern that public exposure could still place their families at risk.
Central New York immigration attorney Jose Perez said fear is evident as soon as clients walk into his office. “They are almost crying all the time,” he said, and added that the system is overwhelmed and detention centers are overcrowded, with “30 or 40 people in a cell designed to hold 10.”
It is a fact many taking the oath are keenly aware of, which makes the ceremony a precious milestone.
Clayton Clarke celebrated with his family after becoming a citizen. His young son waved a small American flag as relatives gathered nearby. Clarke said he came to the United States from Jamaica six years ago with 15 dollars in his pocket when he signed up for the demanding process.
“A lot of sleepless nights, a lot of days,” Clarke said. “But it’s finally here. I finally did it. And I feel proud of myself.”
Others described years of paperwork, interviews and waiting. For most, the ceremony marked the final step in a process that often takes more than a decade and includes background checks, application fees and repeated federal review.
Thomas Luptak, who moved from Canada and spent ten years navigating the system, said the cost stood out. “I played by the rules,” Luptak said. “I had to pay to be here, and I’m okay with that.”
Outside the courtroom, immigration enforcement remains active in Central New York. Attorneys and advocates report ongoing ICE activity in the region, including recent arrests.
Earlier this month, parishioners at All Saints Catholic Church rallied after two of its community members were arrested by ICE and held at a detention center in Batavia. Faith leaders and advocates say the arrests have heightened concern about enforcement reaching into everyday community spaces.
There have also been developments in another high profile local case involving two Upstate Medical University hospital workers.
In late October, ICE agents arrested Alex Ramirez and Yan Vasquez, a married couple who sought asylum in the United States after fleeing Cuba. They were captured while attending a routine immigration hearing. Now a federal judge has ordered Ramirez' deportation to Cuba and another has ordered Vasquez' deportation to Ecuador, where he has never lived.
For the 34 newly sworn-in citizens, the oath marked the end of an anxious and long drawn out legal process. Immigration enforcement, however, will continue its arrests while reshaping the rules for thousands of people waiting for citizenship in Central New York.
