WASHINGTON—On a day focused on his demand for a border wall, President Donald Trump used music and pageantry to welcome “the five newest members of our great American family” during a naturalization ceremony in the Oval Office.
In a ceremony on Jan. 19, that opened with violin music and ended with the playing of the national anthem, Trump celebrated five new Americans from Iraq, Britain, South Korea, Jamaica, and Bolivia.
“Each of you worked hard for this moment. You followed the rules, upheld our laws,” the president said, stressing that they had arrived in the country legally.
A couple of hours later, Trump would unveil his offer to extend the temporary protection already granted to a group of young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children. His offer was made in the hopes that Democrats would agree to fund the completion of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, for which over 30 percent has already been built. Democrats dismissed the president’s proposal before he even made his announcement on Jan. 19.
Trump introduced each of the new U.S. citizens, and said to a woman from South Korea, now a university professor, who came to the U.S. to pursue graduate studies, “I want to congratulate you, and you’re going to have a great time.”
The new citizens had the oath of allegiance administered by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and received their naturalization certificates from Vice President Mike Pence, followed by a handshake from Trump.
“By taking this oath, you have forged a sacred bond with this nation, its traditions, its culture and its values. This heritage is now yours to protect, promote and pass down to the next generation and to the next wave of newcomers to our shores,” the president said.
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