News Release

Welcome 50 New Citizens at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Sandy Hook Unit

Date: September 1, 2022
Contact: Daphne Yun, [phone]

Middletown, N.J.—Join Gateway National Recreation Area and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services staff to welcome 50 new citizens at Gateway’s Sandy Hook Unit.

The 50 citizenship candidates are all residents of Monmouth County and represent the following 29 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Greece, Honduras, India, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

Ceremonies at American landmarks celebrate the conclusion of an immigrant’s journey to citizenship and honor the commitment they’ve shown along the way. National Park Service sites not only make these events meaningful for those who have voluntarily chosen to participate in American democracy and dedicated themselves to the country’s future, but they also reflect the strength and spirit of the United States. This ceremony is also part of Gateway’s celebration of 50 years a National Recreation Area.

WHO:    
Gateway National Recreation Area Superintendent Jen Nersesian     
USCIS Newark District Director John E. Thompson                            
50 Citizenship Candidates from 29 countries

WHAT:              
Naturalization Ceremony

WHERE:   
Sandy Hook Lighthouse                          

WHEN:  
Wednesday, September 7 at 10 am (press should arrive between 9:15 and 9:45)  

NOTES:          
Media attending the ceremony are required to RSVP to Daphne Yun by phone or email by 5 pm on September 6.

The new citizen’s naturalization certificates contain personally identifiable information. We request that media outlets not publish/share photos of new citizens holding their certificates unless that information is blurred.

About Gateway National Recreation Area
Gateway is a large diverse urban park with 27,000 acres spanning Sandy Hook in N.J. and Jamaica Bay and Staten Island in N.Y. It offers green spaces, beaches, wildlife and outdoor recreation, all alongside historic structures and cultural landscapes. It is the 4^th most visited National Park Service unit with more than 9.2 million annual visitors. Gateway National Recreation Area was created by an act of Congress on October 27, 1972 with the dream of bringing a National Park service experience to the New York metropolitan area. This year we’re celebrating our past and looking to the future of this amazing urban park.  For more information about Gateway, visit www.nps.gov/gate