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Tulsa welcomes 15 new U.S. citizens at local naturalization ceremony
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Summary
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services and City of Tulsa officials marked the naturalization of 15 people from seven countries with a ceremony that included remarks from USCIS, Mayor Monroe Nichols and city resilience staff.
Fifteen people from seven countries took the oath of U.S. citizenship at a naturalization ceremony in Tulsa, where representatives from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and local officials welcomed the new citizens and described next steps such as voter registration.
USCIS Oklahoma City Field Office Director Bruce Pollan opened the ceremony and administered the oath. Pollan said the ceremonies were the “best part” of his job and introduced the Pledge of Allegiance and presentation of colors by the Tulsa Fire Department and Tulsa Police Department.
Mayor Monroe Nichols offered a keynote address welcoming the new citizens and urging them to participate in local civic life. "This city is as much yours as it is anybody's," Nichols said, and he described citizenship as an "obligation" to hold government accountable and to help shape community life. Nichols concluded by congratulating the oath takers.
Deontre Hayes, chief resilience officer for the City of Tulsa, gave closing remarks and described resources available after naturalization. Hayes noted the League of Women Voters volunteers present to assist attendees with voter registration forms and said the Department of Resilience and Equity maintains sign-up sheets for city commissions and other civic participation opportunities. Hayes said the city would post photos of the ceremony to the department’s Resilient Tulsa Facebook page and that attendees would receive the event recording.
Certificates of naturalization were distributed after the oath. City and federal officials encouraged new citizens to register to vote and to engage with city commissions and community programs described during the ceremony.
The event included the Pledge of Allegiance, the oath of allegiance administered by USCIS, mayoral remarks, and city-run follow-up services for newly naturalized citizens. It concluded with certificate presentations and a group photograph with city dignitaries.
The ceremony did not include any formal votes or policy actions by the City Council; it was a civic event led by USCIS in coordination with city staff.
