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Jan 5, 2023 Naturalization Ceremony

Release Date: 
Monday, February 13, 2023

On January 5, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana held a naturalization ceremony in which 23 petitioners became new United States citizens.  The Honorable Lance M. Africk, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, presided over the ceremony.  Lilian Pascone, Chief Deputy Clerk for the Eastern District of Louisiana, served as keynote speaker.  Ms. Pascone spoke of her own family’s immigration story, and she applauded the petitioners for the sacrifices they made to obtain citizenship.  Sandra Gutierrez, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, certified the petitioners’ eligibility for citizenship and announced their names.  Petitioners then took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States and received Certificates of Naturalization.  Afterwards, petitioner were invited to take advantage of their new-found citizenship by registering to vote at a table staffed by volunteers from the New Orleans League of Women Voters.  To view photographs from the ceremony, please select this link.