Broome County celebrated 25 newly naturalized citizens with a ceremony in Binghamton last Wednesday. Held at the county courthouse in Downtown Binghamton, 25 individuals from 19 different countries became U.S. citizens.

These ceremonies are the final leg of the naturalization process, as noncitizens are not granted citizenship until they take the oath of allegiance at the ceremony. Upon becoming a naturalized citizen, a person is granted the right to vote, access to federal benefits and the ability to apply for a U.S. passport.

“Refugees and immigrants first acquire Legal Permanent Residence (LPR) and after a grueling process and preparation, finally take the Oath of Allegiance to become a Naturalized Citizen of the United States,” Hussein Adams, the American Civic Association’s executive director and CEO, wrote in a statement to Pipe Dream.

The March 18 ceremony occurred five months after the federal government canceled naturalization ceremonies in much of Upstate New York, including a ceremony that was supposed to be held in Binghamton on Oct. 29. Back in November, Adams told Pipe Dream that he originally thought that the cancellation was due to the 2025 government shutdown, which lasted from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12.

A spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said at the time that the federal government had determined county courts in Broome, Rockland, Schenectady, Tompkins, Washington, Onondaga and Westchester Counties did not meet federal requirements to host these ceremonies.

“They’ve done everything right, they’ve paid their fees,” Adams told Pipe Dream in a November statement. “They’ve gone through the application process. They’ve sat through interviews, they’ve passed their exam, they’ve submitted all the necessary evidence and now they have to be subjected to this.”

Several local elected officials, including State Sen. Lea Webb ‘04 and Mayor Jared Kraham, called on USCIS to reinstate the ceremonies following the cancellations.

The USCIS agreed to reverse the cancellation of naturalization ceremonies in Rockland and Westchester Counties shortly afterward. However, Broome County did not receive notice that its ceremony was reinstated.

Now, after five months, immigrants in the Binghamton area will be able to officially become naturalized citizens of the United States.

“As has been a long-standing tradition here in Binghamton, the American Civic Association continues to assist nationals from all around the world with immigration services,” Adams wrote. “Throughout the past decades, Broome County has been known as the ‘Melting Pot.’”

The naturalization process can take months to years to complete. Applicants have to prepare and submit forms, pay a fee of over $700, attend a biometrics appointment, complete an interview and take the oath of allegiance at a naturalization ceremony.

Adams explained in an interview with News 12 that communities had experienced a lot of fear and anxiety during the months that the ceremonies were paused. Now, families are relieved to have the opportunity to become citizens. He also told Pipe Dream that the new citizens will be an asset to the Binghamton area.

“This is very significant for this area, as it helps fill critical employment gaps, expand and grow the labor force, and boost an economy that becomes more sustainable,” Adams wrote to Pipe Dream.

Andreia Keller, a New Berlin resident and an immigrant from Brazil who has been working to become a citizen for 28 years, finally received naturalized citizenship status on Wednesday.

“I moved to America for the major value in life that I think is love,” Keller said in an interview with 12 News. “But the reason that I became a citizen is because I have faith in this country and I wish that I can actually make even a better place to be.”