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Tulsa officials welcome 20 new U.S. citizens representing 14 countries
Summary
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and Tulsa city leaders held a naturalization ceremony at Tulsa City Hall where 20 people from 14 countries took the oath of allegiance; city staff urged new citizens to engage with local boards and register to vote.
At a naturalization ceremony at Tulsa City Hall, Bruce Pollan, field office director for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Oklahoma City, presided over the swearing-in of 20 new U.S. citizens representing 14 countries.
The ceremony opened with a presentation of colors by the Tulsa Fire Department and Tulsa Police Department, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and the administration of the oath of allegiance to the new citizens. A recorded message from the president of the United States was played during the event; the message included, “You become a citizen of the United States of America.”
Mayor Monroe Nichols welcomed the new citizens and framed the ceremony as a moment to recommit to unity and neighborhood-based civic life. “I welcome you as citizens to the land of justice,” Mayor Monroe Nichols said, adding that the city’s Office of Resilience and Equity offers resources to help newcomers integrate into Tulsa.
Nem s Lun, the city of Tulsa immigrant and refugee affairs manager, spoke about the city’s programs for new residents and invited attendees to connect with city efforts. “We are so proud of you, and we are so happy for you,” Nem s Lun said. Lun told new citizens that the city has more than 40 authorities, boards and commissions composed of leaders from Tulsa’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and encouraged those interested to apply via the city website and to sign up at the event for updates.
Certificates of naturalization were presented individually; Bruce Pollan read names while recipients came forward to receive certificates and handshakes. Examples of recipients called during the ceremony included Peter James Bayless, Marisol Moreno Ruiz, Duy Lin Tran and Thang Sian Suit. The city arranged a group photo with Mayor Nichols and said photos will appear on the City of Tulsa’s Resilient Tulsa Facebook page; the ceremony was also recorded for TGOV online.
City staff and invited partners at the event included representatives from Welcoming America and One Percent for America, who were introduced as participating in a welcoming-week kickoff event the following day. Lun also encouraged newly naturalized citizens to register to vote and described voter registration materials and processes available through city resources.
No formal council action or vote occurred as part of the ceremony. The event combined the federal naturalization oath administered by USCIS with local welcoming remarks and information about city programs meant to help new citizens integrate and participate in civic life.
