On the morning of July 4, beneath the towering silhouettes of saguaro and the red-tinged hills of the park, 15 Southern Arizona residents took the Oath of Allegiance and became United States citizens. The naturalization event, staged at Saguaro National Park West, drew family and friends who stood among the cacti as the new citizens completed the final step of their immigration journey. Peter Yucupico, chairman of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, offered a welcome to the group, gesturing to the landscape behind him and invoking a sense of stewardship: "Thanks to God we're here this morning and for the beauty that God has given," he said. "It belongs to you. You are to preserve it, guide it, and leave it for the next generation and for generations that will come after you." He added, "Today is the anniversary of this country. America is our country, too." The ceremony continued a tradition of holding naturalizations on Independence Day at the national park; this year marked the 13th such event held there.
Loading post…
Each of the 15 new citizens recited the formal wording of the Oath of Allegiance as part of the ceremony. The oath was delivered in full at Saguaro National Park West and read aloud by those taking the pledge: "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God." Following the oath, family members and friends applauded, hugged the newly sworn citizens and gathered for photographs and videos at the park.
Attendees and family members hold small U.S. flags during the July 4 naturalization ceremony at Saguaro National Park, where 15 people took the Oath of Allegiance to become U.S. citizens.
The ceremony took place amid broader national figures on naturalization: over the last decade, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services reports that 7.7 million people became naturalized citizens, and in 2024 more than 13% of new citizens were from Mexico. The agency has not published naturalization statistics under the Trump administration, officials noted. Historically, these Independence Day ceremonies at Saguaro National Park had been presided over by U.S. District Court judges — including Judge Bruce G. MacDonald — but a change in policy means the oath at recent ceremonies is now administered by a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official.
Kelly Furhamm, the superintendent of Saguaro National Park, framed the event as part of the park’s participation in the nation’s 250th anniversary commemorations. "Hosting a naturalization ceremony on Independence Day at Saguaro National Park is a meaningful way to celebrate the ideals of freedom, democracy and citizenship that unite our nation," Furhamm said. "As part of the Freedom 250 commemoration, we are proud to welcome America’s newest citizens and invite their friends and family to share in this special occasion." Furhamm congratulated the new citizens directly: "This the 250 birthday of the country, which is kind of a big deal, but perhaps a bigger deal is the 15 new citizens," she said. "So, congratulations to you all, it's a big day for you and for the country." She also encouraged the new citizens to visit the national park system, presenting a commemorative "passport" intended to be stamped at each park visit while clarifying that the book is not a travel passport for leaving the country.
During the ceremony Furhamm read a passage from President Theodore Roosevelt that she said spoke to cultivating and preserving the nation's natural heritage: "Here is your country. Cherish these natural wonders, cherish the natural resources, cherish the history and romance as a sacred heritage, for your children and your children's children," she read aloud. "Do not let selfish men or greedy interests skin your country of its beauty, its riches or its romance." She followed that with a direct admonition to the new citizens to value their civic responsibilities: "Cherish your freedom and the sacred trust you hold as citizens in a democracy."
Alisha Vasquez, a disability cultures folklorist with the Southwest Folklife Alliance, traced Tucson’s human history and wove her family story into a broader account of the area. Vasquez described a 4,000-year arc of habitation in the region that stretches from Sentinel Peak through Spanish missionary and presidio-era developments and into the present day. She noted that her family has lived in the area for five generations and recounted that her great-grandfather arrived from Mexico when Arizona was still a U.S. territory and opened a blacksmith shop on Meyer Avenue in Barrio Libre, a site now occupied by the Tucson Convention Center. Speaking directly to the group of new citizens, Vasquez reflected on the meaning of citizenship from the perspective of someone who received birthright citizenship: "I regretfully took my citizenship for granted for way too long," she said. She pointed to the guarantees of the 14th Amendment and observed that while her family’s path to citizenship in the past was comparatively straightforward, many people today endure significant hardship and risk for a chance at naturalization.
Vasquez acknowledged the nation’s flawed history even as she urged the newly sworn citizens to participate fully in civic life. She reminded the group that the Declaration of Independence did not extend rights to women, enslaved people or Native Americans at its founding, and that generations have had to fight to expand life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. "I hope you feel the liberty to be yourself and fulfill your wildest dreams," she said. "I hope that anything you try in your future brings you happiness." She urged the new citizens to bring their full identities to public life in the United States: "Each of you brings a lifetime of experiences and generations of knowledge with you from wherever in the world you were born. I encourage you to bring your whole self with you into this next journey of your life in the United States," she said. "Voting is American, protesting is American, using your talent, skills, and passions for the common good is American."
Following the formal remarks, newly naturalized citizens and their families shared personal reflections. Poncho Boubion, originally from Mexico, shook Yucupico’s hand and said simply, "This is such a great day, sir. I've dreamed of this." Jeannette Mukankaka, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, smiled and thanked Daniel Barigenera, who had already been naturalized and accompanied her because she felt nervous. Carlos Olivarria, another new citizen born in Mexico, offered a lighter note about a personal anticipation: "Pizza everywhere, that's what I want." His wife, Ernestina Olivarria, also from Mexico, described citizenship in broader terms: "Feeling free, with no limits." Cynthia Hermosillo, born and raised in Tijuana, said the 250th anniversary and the park setting made the moment especially meaningful. An avid hiker, she said she felt honored to be naturalized at Saguaro National Park on the nation’s 250th birthday and added, "I really got goosebumps because I didn't realize how blessed I am to become a citizen of the United States. It's a beautiful land, and I'm just happy to be able to vote and have freedom."
After the ceremony families lingered to take photographs, set up phones to record social media videos and celebrate together. One extended family of nearly a dozen members arranged a phone to capture the moment while holding small American flags and cheering. The morning at Saguaro National Park West concluded with hugs, laughter and the ceremonial stamping of a park passport for those who wished to begin visiting federal lands as newly sworn American citizens. The event marked a ceremonial and personal milestone for the 15 individuals who had completed their naturalization on Independence Day.
Attendee Ken Kay (@kenkay21) shared video from the swearing-in and posted on X that it was "an inspiring way to celebrate America's 250th birthday by welcoming in its most recent citizens against such a beautiful backdrop."
Saguaro National Park’s superintendent is Scott Stonum; the National Park Service announced his selection on March 22, 2024 and he began the assignment on April 7, 2024.
The National Park Service has been hosting July 4 naturalization ceremonies at Saguaro for more than a decade — NPS news releases note the park marked its eighth Independence Day ceremony in 2018 and its tenth in 2023, underscoring the event’s long-running place in the park’s programming.
The “Freedom 250” language appears alongside a larger, nationwide semiquincentennial commemoration: the congressionally created America250 effort and a separate White House–backed public–private partnership called Freedom 250 have both been organizing 250th‑anniversary events, and the coexistence of those two coordinating groups has drawn public attention and media coverage.