USCIS Welcomes 19,000 New Citizens During Presidents' Day Ceremonies

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will recognize Presidents Day,  welcoming more than 19,000 people as U.S. citizens during 135 naturalization ceremonies across the country Feb. 15 through Feb. 22.

“Throughout our nation’s history, the words and deeds of U.S. presidents have inspired Americans to uphold the ideals of freedom and equality enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “For Presidents Day, we welcome 19,000 new citizens who share these same ideals.”

The celebration of citizenship will culminate Feb. 22, the birthday of the first U.S. president, George Washington, with a ceremony at George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens in Mount Vernon, Va.

 Other special events celebrating our presidents include ceremonies on:

               Feb. 15 at the California Veterans Memorial in Sacramento, Calif.;

               Feb. 19 at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site in Buffalo, N.Y.;

               Feb. 21 at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, S.C.; and

               Feb. 21 at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore.

USCIS Special Naturalization Ceremonies Celebrate Presidents' Day

USCIS celebrates Presidents’ Day by welcoming thousands of new citizens in special naturalization ceremonies across the nation.

Presidents’ Day celebrations run February 15-22. A list of highlighted ceremonies are below:

Date	City, State	Location
Friday, February 15, 2013	Sacramento, CA	California Veterans Memorial
Tuesday, February 19, 2013	Buffalo, NY	Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Tuesday, February 19, 2013	St. Paul, MN	Macalester College, John Davis Lecture Hall
Wednesday, February 20, 2013	San Diego, CA	Golden Hall
Wednesday, February 20, 2013	Sacramento, CA	Sacramento Convention Center
Wednesday, February 20, 2013	Boston, MA	Museum of African American History
Thursday, February 21, 2013	Parris Island, SC	Marine Corps Recruit Depot
Thursday, February 21, 2013	Baltimore, MD	The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum
Thursday, February 21, 2013	Campbell, CA	Campbell Heritage Theater
Friday, February 22, 2013	Mount Vernon, VA	George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Museum & Gardens

Romanian Couple's US Citizenship Revoked for Marriage and Immigration Fraud

An Idaho couple, both from Romania, were sentenced Monday, January 14, 2013, to two years' probation, a $1,000 fine and revocation of their U.S. citizenship status for unlawful procurement of U.S. citizenship, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

Ramona Alina Fenesan, 32, and Florin Fleisher, 34, formerly of Ketchum, pleaded guilty last fall to the charges. According to their plea agreements, Fenesan and Fleisher admitted to entering into fraudulent marriages in 2003 with U.S. citizens for the sole purpose of obtaining immigration benefits - namely U.S. citizenship.

Prosecutors say that once married, the defendants filed applications with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to obtain lawful permanent resident status and later naturalized based upon their marriages. Shortly after obtaining citizenship, Fenesan and Fleischer divorced their U.S. citizen spouses and married each other. At sentencing, defense counsel informed the court that as a result of the fraud and resulting convictions, the couple had lost their home and their jobs.

The two will now be taken into ICE custody and placed in removal proceedings. The case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Idaho.

USCIS Announces "Citizenship Corners" for L.A. Libraries

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Wednesday, September 19, 2012, a new initiative to provide the Los Angeles Public Library's 73 locations with citizenship resources and training for library staff. This initiative further expands upon the agency and city’s partnership announced in January 2010 to strengthen and enhance local immigrant integration efforts. 

“Today we take a further step to expand citizenship resources for immigrants in Los Angeles by providing information about the naturalization process in libraries,” said Mayorkas. “We are proud to yet again partner with Mayor Villaraigosa and the City of Los Angeles on this important initiative and to support immigrants on their journey to become American citizens.”

 Some highlights of this new initiative include:

               Training for library personnel on the naturalization process and available USCIS resources;

               Designating space in each library as ‘citizenship corners,’ which will contain citizenship material and resources;

               Offering a list of non-profit groups providing naturalization assistance in the local community; and

               Providing access to library community rooms for citizenship and English language classes.

As the second largest city in the country, Los Angeles is home to immigrants from more than 140 countries who speak 224 languages. The State of California is home to nearly 3.4 million permanent residents, 2.5 million of whom are estimated to be eligible to apply for naturalization. 

“This joint initiative expands our efforts to educate the city’s immigrant community about citizenship and establishes our libraries as local citizenship information centers,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “We are excited about the opportunity to support the many immigrants and their families that hope to one day achieve their goal of U.S. citizenship.”

USCIS and the City of Los Angeles first established a partnership when they signed a Letter of Agreement for a two-year pilot project. Originally scheduled to conclude in January 2012, the two parties renewed the agreement for an additional year in April 2012.

USCIS Announces $5 Million in Grants for Immigrant Civic Integration Programs

As part of its celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Monday, September 17, 2012, the award of approximately $5 million in grants designed to promote immigrant civic integration and prepare permanent residents for citizenship. Thirty-one immigrant-serving organizations from 21 states and the District of Columbia will receive federal funding to support citizenship preparation services for permanent residents through September 2014. 

Since the program began in October 2009, USCIS’s Citizenship and Integration Grant Program has helped more than 38,000 permanent residents in 30 states and the District of Columbia prepare for citizenship. Through Sept. 30, 2014, USCIS anticipates that an additional 26,000 permanent residents will receive citizenship preparation services as a result of the grants.

“With this grant program, USCIS continues its support for eligible permanent residents on the path to citizenship,” said USCIS Director Alejandro Mayorkas. “By expanding the availability of high-quality citizenship preparation services in communities across the country, this funding helps thousands of permanent residents pursue their goal of U.S. citizenship.” 

USCIS granted the awards through a competitive funding opportunity to organizations that will provide both citizenship instruction to prepare permanent residents for the civics and English components of the naturalization test, and naturalization application services within the scope of the authorized practice of immigration law. 

The Citizenship and Integration Grant Program is part of a multifaceted effort to provide citizenship-preparation resources, and support and information to immigrants and immigrant-serving organizations. USCIS complements this grant program with its Citizenship Resource Center, a centralized Web resource that provides learning materials to help permanent residents prepare for the naturalization process, and the Citizenship Public Education and Awareness Initiative, a multilingual initiative designed to raise awareness of the rights, responsibilities and importance of U.S. citizenship among the estimated 8.5 million permanent residents nationwide eligible to apply for naturalization.  

Find an Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony Near You

Date	Location	Summary
6/28/2012	International Ceremony                                            Tegucigalpa, Honduras	International Ceremony - The Tecucigalpa Field Office will conduct a special military ceremony to celebrate Independence Day at the Ambassador's Residence.
6/28/2012	Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, One Naval Park Cove, Buffalo, NY 14202	The Buffalo Field Office will help conduct a special ceremony aboard the USS Little Rock (former Flagship of the U.S. 6th Fleet).
6/29/2012	Akron Summit Library 60 South High Street Akron, OH 44326	The Cleveland Field Office will help conduct a special ceremony in honor of Independence Day.
6/29/2012	International Ceremony Kandahar Airforce Base Afghanistan	International Ceremony                                                      US Embassy in Kabul
6/29/2012	Dallas Field Office 6500 Campus Circle Drive East, Irving, TX  75063	The Dallas Field Office will celebrate Independence Day with a special ceremony. The Mayor of Irving, Beth Van Duyne, will be present.
6/29/2012	Fort Necessity National Battlefield One Washington Parkway Farmington, PA  15437	The Pittsburgh Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day Ceremony at Fort Necessity - the place of battle for Colonial troops during the opening of the French and Indian War on July 3, 1754.
6/29/2012	Yuba County Government Center 915 8th Street Marysville, CA  95901	The Sacramento Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day Ceremony at the Yuba County Government Center.
7/2/2012	USS Midway Museum 910 North Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92132	The Chula Vista Field Office will help conduct a special annual Independence Day Ceremony on the flight deck of the USS Midway Museum.  There will be 50 military applicants.
7/2/2012	Sesnon House at Cabrillo College 6500 Soquel Drive Aptos, CA	The San Jose Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day ceremony at the Sesnon House at Cabrillo College;   Congressman Sam Farr will serve as special guest speaker.
7/2/2012	Fraunces Tavern Museum 54 Pearl St . New York, NY 10004	The New York Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day ceremony at the Fraunces Tavern Museum.  This building was once a gathering place for George Washington and many other American Revolutionary leaders. Today, the museum focuses mainly on American and revolutionary fine and decorative art and houses a large collection of Washington artifacts.
7/2/2012	Lubbock Court Lubbock, TX	The Dallas Field Office will help the court conduct a special naturalization ceremony to celebrate Independence Day.
7/3/2012	Garrison House 223 East Bay Street Southport, NC 28461	The Raleigh-Durham Field Office will conduct a special ceremony on July 3rd on the lawn in front of the historic Garrison House, a remaining part of historic Fort Johnston (a Revolutionary and Civil War installation) owned by the United States Army until its transfer to the city of Southport four years ago.
7/3/2012	New Britain Rock Cats Stadium 230 John Karbonic Way New Britain, CT  06051	The Hartford Field Office will help conduct their annual special Independence Day Ceremony at the minor league baseball stadium in New Britain, CT.
7/3/2012	Middletown City Hall 245 DeKoven Drive Middletown, CT  06457	The Hartford Field Office will help conduct their annual special Independence Day Ceremony in conjunction with the Russell Library at Middletown City Hall.
7/3/2012	Old Sacramento School Museum Front and L Streets Sacramento, CA  95814	The Sacramento Field Office will conduct a special children's naturalization ceremony at the Old Sacramento School Museum in celebration of Independence Day; Judie Fertig Panneton, local author of "Proud America: Growing Up As Children of Immigrants" will be the guest speaker .
7/3/2012	Lubbock Court                                 Lubbock, TX	The Dallas Field Office and the Lubbock Court will conduct two special naturalization ceremonies to celebrate Independence Day.
7/3/2012	Miami Field Office 8801 NW 7th Avenue Miami, FL  33150	The Miami Field Office will conduct a special ceremony to celebrate Independence Day.
7/3/2012	Jefferson National Expansion Memorial - Old Courthouse 11 North 4th Street St. Louis, MO  63102	There will be a special 4th of July ceremony at the Old Courthouse (part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial NPS site) in St. Louis, MO.  The Old Courthouse was the site of the first two trials of the pivotal Dred Scott case and also where Virginia Minor's case for a woman's right to vote came to trial in the 1870s.
7/3/2012	McCoy Stadium Ben Mondor Way Pawtucket, RI	The Providence Field Office will help conduct a special naturalization ceremony in cooperation with the Pawtucket Red Sox baseball club; the triple A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.  The ceremony will precede a game between the Pawtucket Red Sox and the Rochester (NY) Red Wings.
7/3/2012	Portland Field Office 1455  N.W. Overton Street Suite One Portland, OR  972009	The Portland Field Office will conduct a special ceremony at their office in celebration of Independence Day.
7/3/2012	Comerica Park ( Adams Street Ramp)             Detroit, MI	The Detroit Field Office will help conduct a special naturalization ceremony on the field to celebrate Independence Day immediately prior to a Detroit Tiger's baseball game.
7/4/2012	Saratoga National Historical Park 648 New York 32,                                        Stillwater, NY 12170	The Albany Field Office will conduct a special naturalization ceremony to celebrate Independence Day at Saratoga National Historical Park. This site was the first significant American military victory during the Revolution and the Battles of Saratoga rank among the fifteen most decisive battles in world history. State Senator Roy McDonald will participate in this special ceremony.
7/4/2012	Sauder Village 22611 Street Route 2 Archbold, OH  43502	The Cleveland Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day Naturalization Ceremony at Sauder Village where costumed guides explain how families lived over 100 years ago.
7/4/2012  TBD	Seattle Center                                               305 Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98109	The Seattle Field Office will help conduct a special Independence Day Ceremony at the Seattle Center (base of the Space Needle).  This center was first built for the 1962 World's Fair and the 74 acre campus is located just north of downtown Seattle.  This venue offers a fairground, a park, and an arts and entertainment center all year round. Senator Maria Cantwell and Congressman McDermott will participate and the public will be invited to observe.
7/4/2012	National World War II Museum 945 Magazine Street New Orleans, LA  70130	The New Orleans Field Office will conduct a special naturalization ceremony to celebrate Independence Day at the National World War II Museum.
7/4/2012	South Mountain Community College 10919 S Central Ave Phoenix, AZ 85042-8302	The Phoenix Field Office will help conduct a special annual naturalization ceremony to celebrate Independence Day at the South Mountain Community College.
7/4/2012	Thomas Jefferson's Monticello                                                             931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway                Charlottesville, VA  22902	The Washington Field Office will help conduct an annual special naturalization held by the Western District of Virginia Charlottesville Court at Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in celebration of Independence Day.
7/4/2012	International Ceremony    Yongson - US Army Garrison	Independence Day naturalization ceremony for over 50 military and military spouses; Brigadier General David Conboy will serve as Keynote speaker.
7/4/2012	Genesee Country Village & Museum, 1410 Flint Hill Road, Mumford, New York 14511	The Buffalo Field Office will help conduct a special Independence Day naturalization ceremony at the Genesee Country Village & Museum.  Attendees and visitors will experience a parade and music and merriment as part of the day’s festivities highlighted by the swearing in of new American citizens.  The Honorable Judge Michael A. Telesca will conduct the official United States naturalization ceremony on the steps of the historic village Town Hall.
7/4/2012	National Constitution Center, Independence Mall, 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA  19106	The Philadelphia Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day ceremony for 13 applicants to represent the 13 original colonies. Mayor Michael Nutter will be the guest speaker.
7/4/2012	Saguaro National Park 393 South Old Spanish Trail Tucson, AZ  85730	The Tucson Field Office and District Court will conduct an Independence Day Ceremony at Saguaro National Park; a place that represents five biotic life zones from desert to ponderosa pine forest and where giant saguaro cacti cover the valley floor.
7/4/2012	George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Alexandria, VA  22309	The Washington Field Office will help conduct an annual special naturalization ceremony at George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate to celebrate Independence Day.
7/4/2012	Strawbery Banke Museum 454 Court Street Portsmouth, NH  03803	The Manchester Field Office will host a special Independence Day Ceremony at the Strawbery Banke Museum.
7/4/2012	Ethan Allen Homestead 1 Ethan Allen Homestead Burlington, VT  05408	The St. Albans Field Office will help the US District Court Burlington conduct a special Independence Day Ceremony at the Ethan Allen Homestead.
7/4/2012	Bandelier National Monument 15 Entrance Road Los Alamos, NM 87544	The Albuquerque Field Office will conduct a special naturalization ceremony at the Bandelier National Monument to celebrate Independence Day.
7/4/2012	USS Constitution                                              Charlestown Navy Yard 1 Constitution Road Charlestown, MA 02129	The Boston Field Office will help conduct a special naturalization ceremony aboard the USS Constitution to celebrate Independence Day.
7/4/2012	Betsy Ross House 239 Arch Street Philadelphia, PA  19106	The Philadelphia Field Office will conduct a special naturalization ceremony at the Betsy Ross House to celebrate Independence Day.
7/4/2012	AutoZone Park/Memphis Redbirds 175 Toyota Plaza Memphis, TN 38103	The Memphis Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day ceremony at the Memphis AutoZone Park prior to a Redbirds game.
7/4/2012	Homestead - Miami Speedway One Speedway Blvd. Homestead, FL	The City of Homestead has once again invited the Kendall Field Office to conduct a special Military Naturalization Ceremony in celebration of Independence Day.  The ceremony will take place at the Homestead-Miami Speedway. There will be children’s rides, live music, food vendors, entertainment and fireworks.
7/4/2012	US District Court                                         Overland Park, KS	The Kansas City Field Office and the court will conduct a special Independence Day ceremony.
7/4/2012	Fisher Cat Stadium 1 Line Drive Manchester, NH	The Manchester Field Office will host a special Military Independence Day Ceremony at the Fisher Cat Stadium.
7/4/2012	Freedom Park - Nellis AFB Las Vegas, NV	The Las Vegas Field Office will help conduct a special naturalization ceremony to celebrate Independence Day. A fireworks display will follow the ceremony.
7/4/2012	William Paca House and Garden 186 Prince George Street Annapolis, MD  21401	The Baltimore Field Office will conduct a special Independence Day Ceremony at the William Paca House and Garden.
7/4/2012	Tom Brown Park Tallahassee, FL	The Jacksonville Field Office will help conduct a special Independence Day Ceremony at Tom Brown Park.
7/6/2012	James A. Garfield National Historic Site 8095 Mentor Avenue Mentor, OH  44060	Historic Site:The Cleveland Field Office will help conduct a special judicial ceremony to celebrate Independence Day at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site.  This site preserves the family artifacts of the 20th president. Exhibits and tours introduce Garfield's humble upbringing and family life and is the site where Garfield launched his "Front Porch" campaign after his selection as the 1879 Republican nominee.
7/10/2012	Raley Field 400 Ballpark Drive West Sacramento, CA 95691	The Sacramento Field Office will celebrate Independence Day with a naturalization ceremony at Raley Field.