{"id":2157,"date":"2026-06-26T16:39:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2157"},"modified":"2026-06-26T16:39:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T16:39:54","slug":"it-is-indescribable-south-carolinas-newest-us-citizens-reflect-on-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2157","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It is indescribable.\u2019 South Carolina\u2019s newest US citizens reflect on journey"},"content":{"rendered":"<article><!-- --><!-- --><!-- WPS-5038 -- removed the script from WPS and added the placeholder for trinity player --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><!-- CONTENT --><!--[--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>After its immigrant population hit a record high in 2024, the United States is allowing fewer new citizens in the second Trump administration.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2155\">Richland Sheriff arrests man in connection with early-morning murder in northeast<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>On the same day the U.S. Supreme Court made a pair of decisions extending the White House\u2019s power to control immigration, two dozen of the nation\u2019s newest citizens praised the American dream and values that inspired them to be at Columbia\u2019s federal courthouse.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The Supreme Court\u2019s June 25 decisions were celebrated as a \u201ctremendous win\u201d by White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson in a statement to The Hill.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>The first decision allows the termination of temporary protected status. It protected asylum seekers from deportation and allowed a path toward the employment authorization of thousands of Haitian and Syrians that first began arriving in 2010 and 2012.  decision cleared the way to restart turning away migrants at the border, preventing asylum claims.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>According to a recent study conducted by the National Partnership for New Americans, a collective of immigrant advocacy nonprofits and the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California, naturalization applications and approvals had dropped by 60,799 and 44,041 in comparison to 2024, while denials rose by 8,945.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<div> <related-stories><\/related-stories><\/div>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Hundreds of miles from Washington, D.C., the national tension surrounding immigration was nowhere to be seen in Columbia\u2019s Matthew J. Perry Jr. federal courthouse.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>A naturalization ceremony celebrated the new citizenship of 26 South Carolinians, many were overcome with emotion taking an oath of loyalty to their new nation.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>One was Liz Ferreira, a 30-year-old married woman with a 4-year-old son, Matteo. She first arrived in the United States nine years ago to join her sister, who was already a citizen, and build a new life of her own.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was her dream to live here, too,\u201d Ferreira said. \u201cThen I met my husband here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Though Ferreira said she has felt like an American for a long time, making it official was deeply meaningful, bringing feelings difficult to put into words.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI never imagined it was like this, a lot of people, judges and all of that,\u201d Ferreira said. \u201cIt was an amazing moment, it is indescribable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2154\">A growing new shopping center near Columbia is getting a national sandwich shop<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Ferreira\u2019s husband, Reuben Morales, who was born in Texas and raised in Puerto Rico, said it was a joyful occasion for the young family.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt marks a very important day for us,\u201d Morales said. \u201cWe\u2019re very proud of her, we\u2019re very proud of the American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Ahmed Ali Mohammed, 60, first arrived in the United States in 1995 amid civil war in his native Sudan. The citizenship test, which only 36% of Americans passed in a 2018 survey and was recently made more difficult, was a breeze for Mohammed.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s easy, very easy actually,\u201d Mohammed said. \u201cThey don\u2019t know the history, that\u2019s the problem, if they know the history they\u2019re gonna pass it easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Mohammed said his name and Sudanese origin were early obstacles in the long process of applying for citizenship. He said he was inspired by America\u2019s ideals.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis means a lot,\u201d Mohammed said. \u201cYou come to countries like the United States, you want to be in a freedom country. That\u2019s the best thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>Mohammed said he hopes his country will forever uphold the values that inspired him to become a citizen.<\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to ask this country to be very strong like always,\u201d Mohammed said. \u201cAnd to stand up like always for everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>For US District Court Judge Richard M. Gergel, the grandchild of immigrants from Poland, Ukraine and Canada, presiding over a citizen naturalization ceremony was a powerful full-circle moment.<\/p>\n<p><!-- --><!--]--><!--[--><\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy grandparents loved this country and believed it was the land of opportunity,\u201d Gergel said. \u201cI am confident they never imagined that their grandchild would conduct immigration ceremonies like the ones we are participating in today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/usmovingexpertss.com\/?p=2152\">Richland Sheriff arrests man in connection with early-morning murder in northeast<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--]--><!--]--><!-- --><!-- --><!-- --><\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a June 25 ceremony attended by numerous federal judges a group of naturalized citizens were honored as they completed their journey towards the status.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-interesting"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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