USCIS and NPS Renew Partnership to Enhance Meaning and Stature of Citizenship Ceremonies
The official partnership between the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the U.S. Department of the Interiors National Park Service (NPS) has been renewed recently. This renewal has been made in view of enhancing the meaning and stature of citizenship ceremonies.
In September 2006, the agreement was initially signed between the USCIS and the NPS to link up America’s newest citizens to the national parks all over the country. The citizenship ceremonies are provided with an ideal backdrop established by the historic and picturesque sites of these national parks.
Alejandro Mayorkas, USCIS director and Jon Jarvis, NPS director went on with signing the amendment to the 2006 agreement prior to the special naturalization ceremony. The naturalization ceremony took place at the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.
The USCIS’ partnership with the NPS has enabled three main improvements. First and foremost, all over the country, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Offices will be matched with the National Parks that come under their authority and are interested in organizing citizenship ceremonies. Local partnerships that already exist between the USCIS Field Offices and the National Parks are reinforced and further built up. Finally, a few number of new important naturalization ceremonies that are held at certain parks with a link to immigration or civic history will be sponsored.
Ever since the launch of the partnership between the USCIS and the NPS in September 2006, USCIS has coordinated with the NPS and organized special citizenship ceremonies at most of the 400 places throughout the country that are under the protection of NPS.
In locations, such as Ellis Island, Angel Island, the Mt. Rushmore National Monument, and the National Mall and Memorial Parks, the USCIS has been assisted by NPS in welcoming new citizens on various national commemorations, including Independence Day, Citizenship Day and Constitution Day, and Memorial Day.