Thirty Dallas residents from 19 different countries officially became US citizens during the city’s fourth naturalization ceremony on Dec. 6.
Dallas Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the work of the Welcoming Dallas Strategic Plan. The effort promotes civic engagement and increases access to naturalization so that more Dallas residents can become citizens.
Among the newly sworn-in citizens was Henry Mueta, a 19-year-old who moved to Texas from Kenya.
“This is a big stepping stone, Mueta said. “A lot of people want to come here. There are big opportunities here. Now that I’m a US citizen, there is so much more that I can do.”
The ceremony, held in collaboration with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, comes after an election cycle focused on border security and illegal immigration. Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star has focused on reducing the flow of drugs and migrants across the state’s southern border, though critics have said it criminalizes migrants and people of color.
@couriertexas Thirty Dallas residents from 19 different countries officially became US citizens during the city’s fourth naturalization ceremony on Dec. 6. Dallas Assistant City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira spoke at the ceremony, emphasizing the work of the Welcoming Dallas Strategic Plan. The effort promotes civic engagement and increases access to naturalization so that more Dallas residents can become citizens. Among the newly sworn-in citizens was Henry Mueta, a 19-year-old who moved to Texas from Kenya. “This is a big stepping stone, Mueta said. “A lot of people want to come here. There are big opportunities here. Now that I’m a US citizen, there is so much more that I can do.” The ceremony, held in collaboration with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, comes after an election cycle focused on border security and illegal immigration. Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star has focused on reducing the flow of drugs and migrants across the state’s southern border, though critics have said it criminalizes migrants and people of color.
