New Citizens' Joy & Worry: US Inclusion Push-Pull

0:00It's March 30, I'm Cory with the story, and this is Hartford News today, local news powered by AI. In Connecticut courtrooms, judges are swearing in thousands of immigrants from places like Jamaica, China, and Columbia as new U.S. citizens each year. Federal judge Stefan Underhill recently told a diverse group that recent immigration enforcement scenes on TV feel un-American even apologizing for, poor treatment, some face. The Trump administration paused naturalizations for folks from high-risk countries, adding 20 more nations to a travel ban list after shootings, involving ICE agents, ceremonies get canceled last minute, tests got tougher with more questions, and some green card holders wait forever despite passing interviews. New citizens feel a mix of joy and worry, celebrating rights to vote and protest, while grieving for friends stuck in limbo without passports or family, petitions. Those helping with English and apps report Haitian families rushing for options after

1:01losing temporary status, seeking that full security citizenship, brings. Senators like Richard Blumenthal drop by these oaths, calling them a faith restore, amid D.C. darkness, stressing equal rights no matter your roots. Judges quote folks like Frederick Douglass on one citizenship for all. These ceremonies highlight America's push pull on inclusion, as new voices gear up to speak, for those still waiting outside the doors.