News Release

57 new American citizens from 23 countries sworn in at naturalization ceremony at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area

A new citizen listens to keynote remarks made during a naturalization ceremony held at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

National Park Service

News Release Date: April 27, 2023

Contact: Ana Beatriz Cholo, 805-750-9356

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— On Thursday morning, 57 immigrants from 23 countries became United States citizens during a ceremony hosted by Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA), a unit of the National Park Service, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.  

The new citizens are from Afghanistan, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belize, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Germany, Guatemala, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Mexico, the Philippines, Russia, Syria and the United Kingdom. 

This is the park’s third naturalization ceremony at the park. Rob Sanders, the San Fernando field office director for the USCIS, administered the Oath of Allegiance. SMMNRA park superintendent David Szymanski offered congratulatory remarks.

USCIS and NPS have a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that advances the meaning and stature of citizenship by building connections between new citizens and America’s parks.

First signed in 2006, and renewed in 2021, the agreement has led to special naturalization ceremonies held at many of the 400 places safeguarded by NPS across the country, including Ellis Island, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Rocky Mountain National Park, Yosemite National Park, Cesar Chavez National Monument, Cabrillo National Monument, Acadia National Park and numerous Memorial Parks on the National Mall.

The renewed MOU further strengthens collaborative efforts to hold ceremonies at national parks and historic federal landmarks that best represent the strength and spirit of the United States, and the agreement supports the promotion of citizenship and naturalization by USCIS and NPS.  

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) is the largest urban national park in the country, encompassing more than 150,000 acres of mountains and coastline in Ventura and Los Angeles counties. A unit of the National Park Service, it comprises a seamless network of local, state, and federal parks interwoven with private lands and communities. As one of only five Mediterranean ecosystems in the world, SMMNRA preserves the rich biological diversity of more than 450 animal species and 26 distinct plant communities. For more information, visit nps.gov/samo.     
 

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