Want to see a Central Valley loved one become a U.S. citizen? You’re out of luck for now

María Barragán took cover from the little rain as she waited outside the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fresno field office while her husband Jesús Barragán was being sworn-in in an indoor naturalization ceremony.

“It is an achievement that he has wanted for a long time,” said Barragán of her husband Jesús, who was one of the 40 individuals from 15 counties who were sworn in as U.S. citizens Wednesday (Dec. 20) afternoon.

Barragán would have liked to have been inside to witness the special moment.

“I accompany him from outside, but I would have liked to be by his side,” said Barragán, who became a naturalized citizen about 13 years ago.

“It was before the pandemic, there were a lot of people, and we could bring companions,” Barragan said, adding that several of her relatives attended the ceremony at the Fresno convention center.

The last large-scale naturalization ceremony held by the immigration office in Fresno was on March 10, 2020, when 543 Central Valley residents from 37 countries became citizens at the Fresno Convention Center Valdez Hall.

Those large-scale ceremonies are a thing of the past, at least in the Fresno region.

The pandemic changed all that, as the Fresno USCIS field office switcher to shorter ceremonies with groups of 20 to 30 taking the oath indoors at its P Street offices. It also did a drive-through event and a few outdoor ceremonies during the height of the pandemic.

According to Claire Nicholson, public affairs officer for the USCIS, there are 88 field offices located across the country that conduct more than 10,000 naturalization ceremonies per year nationwide.

“USCIS offices may conduct daily ceremonies where the examination, adjudication, and the oath take place on the same day,” said Nicholson. “Some locations have gone back to holding larger ceremonies such as in Sacramento, while places like Los Ángeles now have a hybrid of both daily ceremonies and quarterly larger ceremonies.”

Naturalization ceremonies in Fresno have remained small for the most part.

Last December, 99 Valley residents participated in a naturalization ceremony at the Fresno Fairgrounds during the Hmong Cultural New Year Festival. About 400 family members and friends witnessed the ceremony, making it the first large-scale naturalization ceremony since the pandemic.

Carmen Paniagua, acting Fresno field office director at the time of the Hmong New Year naturalization ceremony, told Vida en el Valle she didn’t anticipate the huge, public ceremonies in Fresno like before.

“Hopefully we will one day as things get better. That’s our hope,” Paniagua said.

“But in the meantime, we are still involved in the community in this type of celebrations with us and to have USCIS presence in the Community as well, so one way or another, we’re still naturalizing people, so we’re very happy to be here,” Paniagua said.

The Fresno field office continues to conduct same-day daily ceremonies, along with monthly events. Some children’s naturalization events have been held at local libraries. It has also worked with the National Park Services for special naturalization ceremonies held in Yosemite National Park or at national monuments like César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene.

Currently, the Fresno office is doing approximately several routine swearing-in ceremonies a month – some are twice a month/three times a day – where approximately 120 applicants are scheduled each time but are sworn-in in groups of 40 inside the building.

Only applicants are allowed to go inside, leaving their family and friends to peer in from the outside.

According to Nicholson, in fiscal year 2022, the U.S. welcomed 974,000 new U.S. citizens, the highest number of naturalized citizens in almost 15 years.

Those from México represented 13.3% of those naturalized nationally, although they typically are about half of the new U.S. citizens in the Fresno area. India (6.8%), the Philippines (5.5%), Cuba (4.8%), and the Dominican Republic (3.6%) are next.

As of June 7, the country has accepted 588,900 new U.S. citizens, Nicholson said.

The Fresno field office naturalized 14,138 applicants in 2022.

Citizenship is a ‘gift’ for many

Like Barragán, Rosa Barriga and her four adult daughters waited for her husband Gonzalo Barriga who also became a naturalized citizen that afternoon.

All of them took time off from work and drove from Bakersfield to be with their father and husband, thinking the family would be able to witness that milestone without realizing they would not be allowed to go inside.

“Sad because we can’t see the accomplishment, the result of so much paperwork, so many years,” said Rosa Barriga. “It doesn’t matter that we are not inside, we are here with him to cheer him on in spirit.”

After the ceremony concluded, Barragán met with her husband and got him on a video call with some relatives so they could see him as a newly naturalized citizen.

“Very happy, grateful because I have been here for more than 30 years in this country,” said Jesús, a 50-year-old immigrant from Cotija, Michoacán, México.

When the Barriga family met with Gonzalo Barriga, he said that holding his naturalization certificate in his hands was “a very nice gift” during this holiday season. He was 18 when he immigrated to this country.

The 60-year-old from Ario de Rosales, Michoacán, México got emotional as his voice broke and his eyes filled with tears.

“It was a really long process,” said Barriga’s daughter Rosa, adding that seeing her father as a naturalized citizen is “very heartwarming, just a lot of excitement.”

For Modesto resident José Trinidad Piceno Chávez, becoming a naturalized citizen “is a great honor.”

“Fulfill my dream, I always wanted to be part of this country after living half my life here,” said the 44-year-old Piceno Chávez, who is from Zamora, Michoacán, México. He has been in the U..S. for 22 years.

Diana Castañeda, supervisor immigration service officer who administered the oath of allegiance, challenged the new citizens “to be active citizens” and make a difference in people’s lives.

“It is a long journey for many, short for others, but nonetheless it’s a journey you decided to take,” Castañeda said. “So, we are very proud of you.”