I hope all of you celebrating American Independence Day this past weekend enjoyed your holiday. One of my favorite traditions of the 4^th of July is the mass naturalization ceremony. Every year, the USCIS schedules large citizenship oath ceremonies at cities all over the country. Many, like the one hear in my hometown, of Memphis, is followed by a celebratory picnic and fireworks. What a wonderful way to welcome our country’s newest Americans!

The naturalization ceremony is emotion-laden not only for the oath taker, but also for all those who attend as witnesses and oath administrators. A few years back, there was a move afoot to take from judges the oath ceremonies. That was met with stiff resistance from the judges and eventually dropped. These ceremonies are very popular. And who can blame them. When judges are presiding over conflict and misery day after day, the naturalization ceremony is the source of joy and optimism. New beginnings and years of hope realized for people from all walks of life are a refreshing alternative.

To the tens of thousands of individuals who became citizens this weekend, we at Siskind Susser salute you and urge you to make the most of your new status. Certainly register to vote and get active in the political process. And now that you have the power to vote, donate money to political campaigns and the ability to lobby, you can let our legislators know what you think of the legal process you’ve been through. Do you think our immigration system was fair and efficient? If you don’t, make noise. Don’t do what many do and forget about those who will come later.

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Finally, as always, we remind readers that we're lawyers who make our living representing immigration clients and employers seeking to comply with immigration laws. We would love to discuss becoming your law firm. Just go to http://www.visalaw.com/intake.html to request an appointment or call us at 800-748-3819 or 901-682-6455.

Regards,

Greg Siskind