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Nearly 200 immigrants take oath in St. Paul, become naturalized U.S. citizens

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Published  December 19, 2025 6:37pm CST
Immigration
FOX 9
Naturalized U.S. citizens ceremonies held

Naturalized U.S. citizens ceremonies held

Nearly 200 immigrants from more than two dozen countries swore their allegiance to the United States at the federal courthouse in St. Paul on Friday, becoming naturalized U.S. citizens.

The Brief

    • During four ceremonies, 197 immigrants became naturalized U.S. citizens on Friday.
    • They came from more than two dozen countries, including Mexico, Russia, China and India.
    • One woman said she was excited to become a citizen and not have to worry about her immigration status.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Nearly 200 immigrants from more than two dozen countries swore their allegiance to the U.S. at the federal courthouse in St. Paul on Friday, becoming naturalized U.S. citizens.

After lengthy process, 197 immigrants become U.S. citizens

What we know:

There were four ceremonies during which 197 immigrants became naturalized U.S. citizens. All of them came to the U.S. years ago and made their way through a lengthy process that included an interview and a test, among other requirements. For some, it took a decade.

For some, citizenship eases anxiety over immigration enforcement

What they're saying:

"Especially because of the horror stories that are going around about even green card holders getting detained and all that," said Randy Hernandez, who emigrated from Mexico and previously held a green card. "So, it was kind of scary, and that was kind of like one of the reasons why I pushed me to become a citizen because I just didn’t want to worry about that anymore."

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