Fresno should be able to witness those who become newest U.S. citizens | Opinion

There are few spectacular panoramas that match magnificent Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, especially when the newest American citizens take the oath of naturalization.

For the first time in six years, the park hosted Central Valley residents – 70 of them with ancestral roots in more than a dozen countries – to commemorate U.S. Constitution Day and Citizenship Day on Wednesday. Relatives and friends helped celebrate the special occasion.

We love Yosemite and its natural splendor, but other national parks also host naturalization ceremonies. The Grand Canyon welcomed 29 new Americans on Sept. 12. The mighty Sequoias at Sequoia National Forest hosted a naturalization ceremony in 2007.

Other ceremonies have been held at Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri, the Alamo in Texas, and Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. First Lady Jill Biden participated in a naturalization ceremony in March 2022 at the National César E. Chávez Center in Keene.

When immigrants take the legal path – clearing an FBI background check, passing a written exam, and paying up to $760 – they should be celebrated. We should salute them. These new Americans serve as examples of how immigrants can become a part of the greatest country on earth.

Matthew Tragresser, a spokesman for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, underscored that sentiment on the Fourth of July when scores of naturalization ceremonies were held throughout the country.

“USCIS is proud to welcome new citizens who made the right choice to lawfully immigrate, assimilate, and contribute to America’s greatness,” he said in a press statement. “Taking the Oath of Allegiance and embracing U.S. citizenship is a remarkable act of patriotism.”

There were dozens of beaming faces at Yosemite. María G. Ortiz-Briones, who writes for The Fresno Bee, reported a scene of joy. And it wasn’t from the free apple pie – can’t get more American than apple pie – they got to enjoy after the ceremony.

Fresno resident Santi Bouphavong, originally from Laos, said becoming an American citizen “means everything.”

“All the opportunities you get as an American citizen, you know, you just can’t beat it,” he told Ortiz-Briones.

In light of President Donald Trump’s focus on deportations of undocumented immigrants, it’s a wise move by permanent resident holders (i.e., green cards) to file for citizenship. Federal officials report a 10.1% increase in applications in the second quarter of 2025.

The increase could also be attributed to a revised civics test with 20 questions instead of 10. The agency will also resume neighborhood investigations of the applicants for “good moral character” and beef up background checks. Those changes will impact those who apply after Oct. 20.

Let’s go back to public ceremonies

It’s a shame that Central Valley immigrants no longer have the opportunity to become U.S. citizens while their loved ones cherish the moment. That’s because the Fresno USCIS office no longer holds public ceremonies like the ones at the Fresno Convention Center where more than a 1,000 people a month pledged allegiance to the U.S. while onlookers used their cell phones to take photos or video the event.

Local news media covered those events and helped celebrate citizenship. The last major ceremony took place in March 2020.

Guest speakers – like then-California Secretary of State Alex Padilla or Univision Fresno personality Lupita Lomelí – would encourage the newly minted citizens of the need to get involved in their communities.

Outside, vendors would hawk holders for naturalization certificates while volunteers for the Republican and Democratic parties manned voter registration tables. Sometimes, large cardboard cutouts of presidents like Donald Trump, Joe Biden or Barack Obama would serve as backdrops for photos. This was a festive affair.

Since then, naturalization ceremonies have been held inside a first-floor room at the Fresno USCIS office for up to 30. No family or friends are allowed in, which led many of them to peek through the windows to catch a glimpse of the ceremony. Now, the ceremonies are held in the second-floor lobby for about 10.

We encourage the Fresno USCIS office to return to public ceremonies. Those who decided to become citizens of this country need to be celebrated out in the open, not hidden from public view inside an office lobby.

This story was originally published September 21, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Fresno should be able to witness those who become newest U.S. citizens | Opinion."