JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In the first naturalization ceremony held outside the federal courthouse in Jacksonville on Friday, 20 people from 14 different countries became American citizens. The ceremony was held in the courtyard of the Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse because of coronavirus concerns.
One of the people at the ceremony was a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman who has been in the military for years and now is officially a United States citizen.
It’s impossible to overstate just how important the day was for those who took their Oath of Citizenship in the first naturalization ceremony at the courthouse since the coronavirus pandemic began last March.
Navy Hospital Corpsman Christian Ferreria came to the U.S. when he was 13 years old on a visa, attending high school in New York, before deciding to enlist in the Navy at age 18.
He and 19 others all have different reasons for wanting to be U.S. citizens, but for Ferreria, it’s his admiration for rights that some Americans might take for granted.
“I love the Bill of Rights,” Ferreria said. “First, second, third amendment. It excites me to talk about that, and that’s what made me want to get through the process and feel like I’m a part of this country.”
Ferreria, who wants to be an attorney or state trooper, has also helped in the fight against the coronavirus, working at the Gateway Mall vaccination site as a medical assistant.
“I got to vaccinate about a thousand people and now I’m back at the hospital. I work at family medicine we see all kinds of patients, adults children,” he said.
It’s a special day not only for Ferreria and the other 19 people but also for the court workers who get to share in the celebration, which is a pleasant change.
“Normally when people come to court, it’s an unhappy event, it’s a crime, or someone has been charged with a crime, or someone is involved in a lawsuit, but today is one of the few days where everyone including court personnel will leave with a smile on their face,” said Timothy Corrigan, Chief United States District Judge.
Corrigan said this day is just as important as the birth of a child or a wedding ceremony to the new U.S. citizens. He said it was an honor and privilege to naturalize a Navy sailor who is already serving the United States.
“We are always happy to have military members who are now becoming citizens because they’re already serving the country, and now they get to be officially named as citizens of the country that they’re serving,” Corrigan said.
Corrigan said the United States District Court may hold one more outside naturalization ceremony in May, with hopes of being in the court.