Drive-Through Naturalizations Make New U.S. Citizens In The COVID-19 Era
ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
The pandemic put naturalization ceremonies across the country on hold in March. They're usually held in big rooms with friends and family. Now, thousands of immigrants have safely become citizens over the last few weeks thanks to naturalization drive-throughs. Reporter Max Rivlin-Nadler of member station KPBS reports from Southern California.
MAX RIVLIN-NADLER, BYLINE: Behind a community center in El Cajon, Calif., lay the end to the long journey towards citizenship.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: No tickets, nothing like that?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: No. No.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: OK, perfect.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Drivers are asked if they have any coronavirus symptoms, if they've been arrested recently and if they're ready to surrender their green card.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: You have your green card?
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: Sure.
RIVLIN-NADLER: They're all given a small American flag and drive into a roundabout where an immigration officer administers the oath of allegiance through the driver's side window from 6 feet away.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: And who's naturalizing here?
RIVLIN-NADLER: The officer asks the about-to-be citizens to raise their right hands.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce and...
RIVLIN-NADLER: And just like that, they're citizens, all without leaving their cars.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: Congratulations to you both. You are now our newest United States citizens.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Six hundred people from 68 countries participated in the drive-through ceremony earlier this week in El Cajon.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: I'm from France originally.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: I'm originally from Afghanistan, Nangarhar province.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Yucatan - Mexico.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Prior to the shutdown, San Diego held its monthly ceremonies at Golden Hall, a giant venue downtown which fits thousands of people. During the coronavirus pandemic, It's been converted to a homeless shelter. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services only began holding these daily drive-throughs in San Diego in early June. One of those brand-new citizens was Belinda Rodriguez, who was born in Mexico.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: Congratulations.
RIVLIN-NADLER: She's been working towards naturalization for 20 years. She brought her sister and niece along with her. She didn't think her ceremony would be quite like this.
BELINDA RODRIGUEZ: Oh, no, it's very different (laughter) not in this condition. But I'm excited also.
RIVLIN-NADLER: She was happy to finally be able to do the ceremony before she had to renew her residency.
RODRIGUEZ: I was thinking that my card was going to expire, so I was going to do it again.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Immigration officers have had to play catch-up for the three months that there were no ceremonies in Golden Hall. Madeline Kristoff is the field officer for San Diego.
MADELINE KRISTOFF: Golden Hall is a great ceremony, but this makes it a lot more personal almost. So the officers get to participate in ways that they normally don't get to at Golden Hall. And it's really fun being able to talk to people as they're driving through and get to hear a little bit of their stories.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: I wish we could get, like, a cheeseburger or a milkshake or something for you guys too in drive-through fashion.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Niru Reinier from India was naturalized 10 years ago. On Monday, she chauffeured her mother who was becoming a citizen.
NIRU REINIER: I called my sister and I said, I feel like this is so SoCal (laughter). Everything happens quickly.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Many who participated said what they were looking forward to most was voting in elections this November. Raphael Declercq was born in France.
RAPHAEL DECLERCQ: We got our interview right before the shutdown. And I didn't know if I was going to be able to vote, which ultimately is an important part of why I want to become a citizen. So I'm glad that they're making those efforts.
RIVLIN-NADLER: Outside of a regular naturalization ceremony, voter registration booths greet people as they exit. At the drive-through, there were no booths to be found. But, along with their small American flags, new citizens were given packets which included instructions on how to register to vote.
UNIDENTIFIED OFFICER: All right. Congratulations to you. Give her a big round of applause. You are now our newest United States citizen.
RIVLIN-NADLER: For NPR News, I'm Max Rivlin-Nadler in El Cajon.
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