Seventy-five people from around the world became U.S. citizens in Indianapolis on Thursday, July 2. Many of the new Americans said the day marks the start of a new journey.
Federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker presided over the ceremony. Taking her seat, Barker pulled out a birthday party hat and set it on the corner of her desk.
"Each of you is a birthday gift to us on this birthday celebration," Barker said. "It's a birthday gift we're giving to one another, so we are glad you're here, not only to join the party, but to be the party. Welcome to each one of you. I hope this day will turn out to be something that you remember forever."
The annual naturalization ceremony at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site came days before the United States' 250th Independence Day.
The ceremony included speeches, music and little American flags passed to attendees.
Takshi Shridhar handed a flag to her father, Gaurav Shridhar. Guarav's wife and Takshi's mother, Rajni Bare, became a citizen last month. The family moved to the U.S. from India eight years ago.
"It means a lot for us to be a part of this country. It's really a great country, [to] accept the different cultures. We really feel proud of being Americans now," Bare said.
Another new citizen, Carol John, raised her right hand and took the Oath of Citizenship. John came from Kenya to study at Purdue University. She said days like this give her hope.
"Right now the country faces a lot of uncertainties, and I'm glad that they called us for this ceremony, because this means so much to me," John said. "America has given me a lot, so far. It has given me a lot of independence, a lot of advancements in career and education, but today is the combination of all that."
The weight of the current heightened immigration enforcement was present during the festivities.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainments have spiked under President Donald Trump's administration alongside an increased budget. Refugee resettlement programs and asylum can no longer be seeked at the border. And some immigrants' legal statuses have been put into limbo through travel bans for several countries and a recent Supreme Court ruling that effectively ended the Temporary Protection Status program.
In Indiana, SEA 76, known as the FAIRNESS Act, went into full effect July 1. It includes provisions that require schools, hospitals, local governments, police and sheriffs offices to comply with federal immigration operations. It also requires businesses operating in the state to verify the legal status of their employees.
Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said the narrative that there is a widespread issue of people without legal status voting in U.S. elections is not true.
"You'll also hear rhetoric about immigration itself, rhetoric that treats people who came here seeking what America has to offer as a threat rather than as a strength," Sweeney Bell said. "It's not a new argument in America, and it has never been the better argument."
Sweeney Bell said former President Ronald Reagan believed in welcoming immigrants that had the will and heart to come.
"He talked about that as the thing that made America different from every other nation on earth, not closed borders but open doors for those willing to work for their dreams," she said.
Speakers at the ceremony talked about their hope for the future. Some pointed to the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that protected birthright citizenship. The crowd erupted with cheers celebrating that decision.
Judge Barker told the new citizens she believes they are how the U.S. continues to become a more perfect union.
"We remain the country where people from all around the world still choose to immigrate. Some days, frankly, I think we need you more than you need us," Barker said. "So our challenge is to be worthy of the gift that you give us through your decision to join us as fellow citizens."
For participants like Nadia Ansari, the celebration wasn't about crossing a finish line but starting a new era as American citizens. Ansari immigrated to the U.S. from India seven years ago and described all the time and work it took to get to this moment.
"The immigration process is quite lengthy, and there are a bunch of forms and processes in place that you have to go through, and every time any status gets updated, you're like, 'Oh my god, what is [it] going to be, what's the next step?' So it's finally nice to know, okay, now the journey has actually started," Ansari said.
Following the ceremony, the new citizens were handed their naturalization certificates and were able to register to vote.
Contact WFYI All Things Considered newscaster and reporter Samantha Horton at shorton@wfyi.org or on Signal at SamHorton.05
