“Valió la pena”: for the new citizens of Dallas, a feeling of relief

It took Francisco Coreas Arevalo 34 years to reach the moment Friday morning when he finally took the oath of citizenship.

Originally from El Salvador, he said he has been waiting for this day since arriving in the United States more than three decades ago.

“I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulder,” Coreas Arevalo said in Spanish. “It was a long journey, but it was worth the wait.”

His wife, Sheyla Perez, an immigrant from Guatemala, has been in the country less than a year than her husband and is in the process of obtaining legal residency.

“I’m very happy for him because he fought hard for this and for all of us family members who want the opportunity to be here legally,” Perez said.

Coreas Arevalo was among 30 Dallas residents representing 19 countries who, amid some tears and surrounded by family, became U.S. citizens last week in a ceremony at City Hall.

Facing increased anti-immigration rhetoric from some politicians at the local and federal levels, she said it’s difficult for undocumented immigrants trying to become citizens and paying taxes.

“There aren’t a lot of opportunities for someone who doesn’t have anything,” she said.

She said Friday’s event represented a step forward for her family and others struggling to achieve the American dream of becoming a U.S. citizen.

“This is the first step for him,” she said. “The next step is to vote for a better future and a better country, because this is the land of opportunity. »

Citizenship instructor Linda Flores was on hand to see two of her students take the oath of citizenship. Since 2011, Flores has been preparing people for the naturalization process and citizenship exam. She hosts pop-up classes at places like fast food restaurants, libraries, or wherever they give her space.

During Friday’s ceremony, she carried a banner with the American flag to celebrate her students.

“I tell my students, you can become a citizen, but the main thing is to vote,” Flores said. “Now that you are an American citizen, you have the right and responsibility to vote – so you must vote.”

President-elect Donald Trump is promising mass deportations on the first day of his second term, starting with people who pose a threat to public safety. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson told Fox Business last month that the city “stands with President Trump in an effort to illegally get rid of people in our country who have violent criminal records or who commit crimes violent here.

“But more than that, people need to understand that this is putting a strain on our school system and our hospital system,” he continued. “There are hidden costs to having a porous, open border and we need to close it.”

Dallas Deputy City Manager Liz Cedillo-Pereira, who spoke at Friday’s ceremony, said that in 2017 the city committed to becoming a welcoming place for immigrants and refugees who live in Dallas.

A key aspect of the Welcoming Dallas strategic plan is to promote civic engagement and increase access to naturalization so that more Dallas residents can become citizens. The work is carried out in collaboration with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

“I am deeply admiring and respectful of your accomplishments,” Cedillo-Pereira told the new citizens, “and I am grateful for the unique perspectives and talents you bring to our city.”

She said about one in four Dallas residents come from another country.

Priscilla Rice is KERA’s Communities Reporter. Do you have any advice? Send him an email to [email protected].

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