50 people from 30 different countries were sworn in at a citizenship ceremony at Wrigley Field Wednesday morning.
On a practical level, Fabio Caiazzo says becoming a US citizen means he can go through the same customs line at the airport as his wife and five-year-old daughter.
The Italian immigrant says he’s excited to bring his culture to the American mix.
Many of the new citizens wore Cubs hats given to them by the team and held small US flags.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias congratulated his fellow Americans, sharing that his parents came here from Greece 50 years ago.
The ceremony was the end of a long journey for some, like Mohamed Ahmed.
The Somali native told WBBM he had to wait nine months to take the oath after passing his interview and missed visiting his dying grandmother after the Trump administration froze his and other applications.
Minoo, a doctor from Iran, also saw her ceremony cancelled that was originally scheduled for December.
They were on the list of people from 39 countries where applications were frozen until June, when a federal court struck down the policy.
A spokesman for US Citizenship and Immigration Services said they are reinforcing robust screening after years where “the Biden administration prioritized rubberstamping naturalization applications with minimal vetting.”
Reforms the office has implemented include reestablishing a naturalization civics test, tougher English language proficiency requirements, screening social media for anti-American activities, and ensuring applicants demonstrate good moral character.
The crowd was much smaller than previous oath of allegiance ceremonies in and around Chicago, reflecting a massive reduction in naturalizations.
A spokesman for the US District Court in Northern Illinois says it is on pace to swear in less than 7,200 citizens this year.
Sean Lewis says over the last four years, they have welcomed an average of 29,000 new citizens each year.
