The Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services office officiated a naturalization ceremony for 19 Soldiers and one Army family member at the Army Community Service building at Fort Bliss, Texas, Nov. 13, 2019. The 20 applicants for citizenship represented 12 countries: Belize, Cuba, Canada, Jamaica, Federated States of Micronesia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. (Photo by Michelle L. Gordon, USAG Fort Bliss Public Affairs)
19 Soldiers become U.S. citizens during naturalization ceremony
By Michelle L. Gordon, USAG Fort Bliss Public Affairs
Nineteen Soldiers and one Army family member officially became U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony held Nov. 13, 2019, at Fort Bliss, Texas.
Officiated by the Department of Homeland Security Citizenship and Immigration Services office, the ceremony was held at the Army Community Service building in front of a standing-room only crowd. The 20 applicants for citizenship represented 12 countries: Belize, Cuba, Canada, Jamaica, Federated States of Micronesia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey.
Supervisory Immigration Services Officer Carlos Cornett told the applicants he was honored and proud to administer the oath of allegiance to them, “For me, and others like me, who are [U.S.] citizens by birth, citizenship comes to us so easily that we often undervalue it and take it for granted. Witnessing your enthusiasm and passion for United States citizenship renews in me that same passion to be a great American.”
He arrived at Fort Bliss in July 2015 and he is now a cavalry scout assigned to the 6th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division. Lopez said he encourages Soldiers to continue with the process of gaining citizenship, regardless of the timeline.
“No matter how long it takes, just keep going,” he said. “I hit a bunch of hurdles trying to gather the required information for the application, but after it’s all said and done, it’s worth it. Now I get to vote and do everything my kids are able to do. It feels good.”
The Fort Bliss ACS partnership with the Department of Homeland Security began in 2005, and Cher Roumell, Relocation and Information and Referral program manager, was one of the founders of the program. She said the program started with quarterly DHS visits to ACS, and throughout the years it has evolved into weekly visits.
“I reached out to them because we are a border community, so this area has a particularly high population of Soldiers either married to spouses who aren’t U.S. citizens, or the Soldiers themselves are not U.S. citizens,” she said. “[DHS] comes here every Wednesday and they see about 30 to 50 Soldiers and family members each week.”
Roumell encourages Soldiers and families stop by ACS prior to paying out-of-pocket for citizenship services. Many times she has heard of service members who have already paid upward of $3,000 to an attorney, when they could have received the same services for free at ACS.
“This is an amazing resource for the Soldiers and their families, and it saves them so much money,” she said. “We can’t work on paperwork started by a private attorney, but we can help start new paperwork, and although they are still responsible for the processing fee, they can utilize Army Emergency Relief, which is located right next door.”
During their weekly visits to ACS, the DHS immigration services officers provide case status updates, explain how to file naturalization applications and petitions, answer questions and provide any other information needed to expedite the process.
“They’ve really helped a lot of families who can’t traverse the system,” Roumell said. “They foster the relationships, start the initial paperwork, tell them what they need to do and help them know what to study in order to pass the citizenship interview.”
James Spurling, left, said he had to shake the hand of Staff Sgt. Carlos Lopez, right, after a naturalization ceremony held Nov. 13, 2019 at Fort Bliss, Texas. Spurling helped establish the partnership between Fort Bliss Army Community Service and the Department of Homeland Security in 2005. He described the process of naturalizing Soldiers as the most rewarding part of his job at DHS. Spurling said he naturalized approximately 4,000 Soldiers between 1999 and 2011, when he retired from DHS, and Lopez is the first non-citizen, Purple Heart recipient he has ever seen. (Photo by Michelle L. Gordon, USAG Fort Bliss Public Affairs)