Free Republic

On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 157 service members became America's newest citizens during a naturalization ceremony in Al Faw Palace, Camp Victory, Baghdad. Photo by Lee Craker, MNC-I. BAGHDAD — A naturalization ceremony here on Veterans Day in Camp Victory's Al Faw Palace saw 157 U.S. Soldiers and Marines from 60 countries take the oath to become United States citizens. "How fitting it is that so many, on this Veterans Day, will gain their American citizenship while serving in 'America's Corps'," said Lt. Gen. Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., commanding general of Multi-National Corps - Iraq. "I can think of no...

Roughly a quarter of a century ago, when the manager hired me to a much coveted job in the lowest echelons of management in a reputable corporation, I believed it was on the merits of my resume and real time presentation. It was the easiest conclusion to make, having been endowed with a healthy dose of self-esteem by my farm boy upbringing, reinforced by a series of academic scholarships through college and graduate school. Then picking an “Americanized” name was one of the top three issues he addressed in the job orientation. He opined that most people would find pronouncing...

A congressional committee deliberated only five years ago a plan that would have opened the door to allowing immigrants and others who do not qualify as "natural born" citizens in the United States entry into the Oval office – but ended up killing the plan. One of the advocates for the plan was Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., whose comments still are available in an audio file posted at Talk Radio News. "I believe in the right of the people to choose as they wish. People say, 'Well you're amending the Constitution.' The fact is in 1789 the notion of direct...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2009 – An indictment handed down yesterday in a North Carolina federal court charges three men with plotting to attack Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., with the intent to murder U.S. military personnel. The men -- two American citizens and a legal U.S. resident from Kosovo – are Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39; his son, Zakariya Boyd, 20; and Kosovo native Hysen Sherifi, 24, according to Justice Department and Marine Corps news releases. The three allegedly were involved in a plot to procure maps of the base and assemble weapons as a precursor to an attack, the releases...

It's been 10 years to the day today that I became an American. I'm proud to be a part of this country, even though I was not born here.

WASHINGTON, July 6, 2009 – Vice President Joe Biden and Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of Multinational Force Iraq, presided over a July 4 naturalization ceremony in which 237 servicemembers deployed to Iraq became American citizens. U.S. servicemembers take the citizenship oath inside Al-Faw palace at Camp Victory, Iraq, July 4, 2009. White House photo by David Lienemann  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “You are the reason America is strong,” Biden told the soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who hailed from 59 countries, including Iraq, during the ceremony in the rotunda of former dictator Saddam Hussein’s Al-Faw palace...

BAGHDAD, July 6, 2009 – Red, white and blue are the colors associated with American independence, but this year, we can add another color: brown. An Iraqi-born U.S. soldier turned American citizen, Spc. “Brown,” right, an interpreter attached to the 225th Engineer Brigade, shakes hands with Vice President Joe Biden during a naturalization ceremony at Camp Liberty, Iraq, July 4, 2009. Brown joined 236 other U.S. servicemembers from more than 50 countries to take the U.S. oath of citizenship on Independence Day. U.S. Army photo by Lt. Col. Pat Simon  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Spc. “Brown,” an...

Naturalized citizens are poised to reshape California's political landscape The increase in naturalized Asian and Latino citizens -- 300,000 people took the oath of allegiance in 2008 -- could alter the state's policy priorities for years to come, analysts say. By Teresa Watanabe May 10, 2009 More than 1 million immigrants became U.S. citizens last year, hastening the ethnic transformation of California's political landscape with more Latinos and Asians now eligible to vote. Leading the wave, California's 300,000 new citizens accounted for nearly one-third of the nation's total and represented a near-doubling over 2006, according to a recent report by...

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hispanics made up nearly half of the more than 1 million people who became U.S. citizens last year, according to a Hispanic advocacy group. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials said the number of Latinos who became Americans in fiscal year 2008 more than doubled over the previous year, to 461,317. That's nearly half of the record 1,046,539 new citizens overall in 2008, a 58 percent increase from 2007.

My wife was naturalized into a US citizen today. It was a rather bitter-sweet experience. It started out with the star spangled banner and some patriotic songs. Then they listed the countries of the 192 new citizens. Unfortunately, Somalia and Ethiopia had the most citizens (about 40 each), Vietnam and Thailand both had about 25. Surprisingly, my wife was one of the few hispanics. I guess, why bother doing that pain in the butt for something you can get the same benefits for nothing. Probably a handful of Caucasians getting naturalized but there sure were a lot of burcas! Some...

WASHINGTON: For decades, high-skilled professionals from across the world, particularly India, have fought their way to US citizenship through legal immigration channels — a process that can take up to a decade or more. Now, Uncle Sam is making it easy. Fight your way — literally — to American citizenship in as little as six months. In a far reaching proposal, the US military will open its doors to skilled immigrant guest workers (such as those who hold H-1B visas) who have lived in the US for a minimum of two years. The move is aimed at offsetting the poor...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. military will begin recruiting immigrants with special skills who are in the United States on temporary visas, offering a chance to become citizens in as little as six months, The New York Times reported. A report on the newspaper's website on Saturday said it would be the first time since the Vietnam War that the armed forces would be open to temporary immigrants, provided they have lived in the United States for at least two years. Immigrants with permanent resident status, or "green cards," are eligible to enlist in the U.S. military.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq, Dec. 17, 2008 – A former war refugee traveled across countries and continents in search of a better life -- a remarkable journey that ended in the United States when he became a U.S. citizen and a soldier. Army Spc. Samuel Ladu, a translator with 4th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, speaks with Iraqi soldiers in southern Baghdad’s Saydiyah community. Ladu, a former refugee of Sudan, became a U.S. citizen after joining the Army. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. David Hodge  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Spc....

A former INS official who attended meetings with Rahm Emanuel when Emanuel was a White House aide says the hard-charging Democrat relaxed rules to naturalize even criminal immigrants and secure their votes for President Clinton ahead of the 1996 presidential election. President-elect Barack Obama, who has chosen Emanuel to run White House operations as his chief of staff, has promised to sign legislation that loosens immigration and puts even illegal aliens on a fast track to citizenship. Emanuel coordinated with Hispanic community organizers in Chicago to rubberstamp immigrants for citizenship, the INS official said in an exclusive interview with WND....

What might the phrase “natural-born citizen” of the United States imply under the U.S. Constitution? The phrase has always been obscure due to the lack of any single authoritative source to confer in order to understand the condition of citizenship the phrase recognizes. Learning what the phrase might have meant following the Declaration of Independence, and following the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment, requires detective work. As with all detective work, eliminating the usual suspects from the beginning goes a long way in quickly solving a case.

When Herta Lemons participates in the Veterans Day ceremony at the Chattanooga National Cemetery today, she’ll blend right in with the other Gold Star Mothers who have lost children in combat. And that’s quite all right with her. The German-born East Lake resident lost a son to war before he was even a citizen of the United States, and she doesn’t want that sacrifice viewed as any less patriotic than those of his native-born brethren. Lance Cpl. Karl Ludwig Thompson didn’t join the service for benefits or for citizenship, Mrs. Lemons says. In fact, he did not become an American...

This Veterans Day was like no other for 77 service members who took the oath of allegiance and officially became U.S. citizens while deployed to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. The U.S. Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, William Wood attended the naturalization ceremony as the guest speaker, along with Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Schloesser, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force-101 and Regional Command-East commander. “For some of you, it probably seems like it was just yesterday when you raised your right hand and said that you would support and defend the constitution of the United States and serve in...

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' decision to award Sgt. Rafael Peralta a Navy Cross instead of a Medal of Honor makes no sense. Either Peralta grabbed a grenade to protect his fellow Marines or he did not. If Peralta grabbed the grenade then he deserves a Medal of Honor. If he did not grab the grenade than there is no reason to award him a Navy Cross. Peralta was born in Mexico and joined the Marines as soon as he received a green card. He subsequently became a U.S. citizen while serving in the Marines. On November 15, 2004, while...

New citizens, new voters Friday, September 19, 2008 By Sherri Williams THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Carmen Ladman used to plan her trips home to El Salvador around her country's presidential elections so she could vote. After becoming a U.S. citizen yesterday, she won't have to travel so far to cast her ballot this year. She will vote in America for the first time. "How important this election is for this country made me apply (for citizenship) to vote," said Ladman, 52, who has lived in the United States 12 years. "I'm a believer that we all have to do something. "If...

BAGHDAD, Sept. 2, 2008 – American citizenship became a reality for 192 U.S. servicemembers from 54 different countries during a ceremony yesterday at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory here. Army Command Sgt. Major Joseph R. Allen, command sergeant major for Multinational Corps Iraq, presents a servicemember and new U.S. citizen with an American flag Sept. 1, 2008, during a citizenship ceremony at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory in Baghdad. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christopher M. Gaylord, 13th Public Affairs Detachment   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Army Lt. Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III, Multinational Corps...

Posted Today, 11:35 AM Michelle M New Member = 100 Posts Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 94 Poster Rank: #345 (August 7, 2008) Things you might not know about Barack (Rocky Mtn News)- ObamaMentions Obama's Kenyan Citizenship! Gasp!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can't imagine how they let this slip out, but watch the scrambling by the bots!! Would love to know where they got this, even though they list their sources... http://www.rockymountainnews.com/new...ahoo_headlines Entered Harvard Law School in 1988, was elected the first African–American editor of the Harvard Law Review. He graduated magna cum laude in 1991. Won two Grammys for Best Spoken Word...

Who is eligible to be POTUS under Article II of the Constitution and why? The answer isn’t what most people think and people need to know! People made a big ruckus about McCain’s eligibility but what about Obama? He may have held anything up to 4 other Nationalities. If a Naturalized Citizen cannot hold the Office of POTUS neither can a Dual National or a Dual Citizen. In Part Two of the Article I shall show the evidence that leads me to think Obama has held other Citizenship.

100-plus give a lesson in free speechBy John Henderson jhenderson@dailyprogress.com Published: July 5, 2008While thousands flocked to hear President Bush speak at Monticello on Friday morning, Dana Palmer stood by the side of Route 20 dressed like Lady Liberty to teach her kids a lesson in free speech. Palmer, her husband and their two children were among more than 100 people to protest Bush’s visit to Monticello with homemade signs, costumes, expressive T-shirts and their voices. Palmer wore bright green robes, a foam crown and had her face painted white to represent “the death of liberty,” while her husband, dressed...

Spc. Razan Saied seems like an unlikely soldier. She once taught elementary school in her native Kurdistan, in northern Iraq. That was before she, her husband and their three children fled the Saddam Hussein regime a decade ago. Later, as U.S. citizens, her husband and children supported her decision to enlist in the Army, even if they didn't fully understand it. "I kind of thought she was joking," said her 10-year-old son, Alan. "She's a soccer mom!" said daughter Sana, 14. But Spc. Saied felt a calling to serve, which she did as a Kurdish translator for U.S. commanders. She...

Mary Patricia McFadyen, a native of Scotland, stepped up to the microphone just moments after being sworn in as an American citizen and thanked her friends and neighbors. But, she added, President Bush was also a powerful influence in her decision. “Mr. President, I’d like to thank you for inspiring me to complete this process,” she said. “Without you, this day may have never come.” For new citizens like McFadyen, it seemed especially fitting that the president honored 72 new citizens and reflected on Thomas Jefferson’s legacy during the 46th annual Independence Day and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. – President George W. Bush will attend the July 4 event at Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson, the White House has announced. Bush will be the featured speaker at Monticello’s 46th annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. He will become the fourth sitting president to participate in Independence Day activities at Monticello, joining Franklin D. Roosevelt (1936), Harry S. Truman (1947), and Gerald R. Ford (1976). “We are truly honored to have President Bush as our featured speaker on July 4, and regard it as a great compliment that he has chosen to spend part of the...

As U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III began to speak yesterday, American flags fluttered in the breeze and military aircraft zoomed overhead. The graves of soldiers, freshly dug and from centuries past, bore silent testimony. The 70 people summoned before him had committed no crime -- it was the happiest day of their lives. Ellis had moved his Alexandria courtroom to Arlington National Cemetery to swear in immigrants from more than 30 countries as U.S. citizens, the first time a naturalization ceremony was held on the hallowed grounds in the cemetery's 144-year history. He wanted to impress upon the new...

               Sandeep Singh               June 04, 2008 The Department of Homeland Security last week showcased an India-born soldier, one of the six foreign-born members of the military, at a special naturalisation ceremony for new citizens of the United States.Ludhiana-born Sandeep Singh, 23, a soldier in the US Army's 3rd US Infantry Continental Color Guard Team, said he had "followed his desire to serve his adopted nation after the terrorist attacks of 9/11."He was among 26 men and women from 21 countries who were administered the Oath of Allegiance by...

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan, May 27, 2008 – The poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty beckons “Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free,” but on this Memorial Day, quite the opposite was true, as 44 members of the U.S. military marched forward to become America’s newest citizens. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff congratulates a soldier May 26, 2008, on his new U.S. citizenship at a ceremony on Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. Forty-four soldiers and Marines became citizens at a naturalization ceremony. U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Scott Davis  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution...

CLEARWATER — This month's death of Army Spc. Arturo Huerta-Cruz in Iraq cast a spotlight on troops serving in the U.S. military who are not American citizens. Huerta-Cruz, 23, was born in a small town in rural Mexico and moved to Clearwater with his family when he was 10. He was a legal permanent resident, or a "green card" soldier. That made him an exception. Noncitizens account for about 5 percent of the troops in all the branches of the U.S. military. Noncitizens now must have green cards to enlist. But as the nation fights wars on two fronts, some...

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2008 – Marine Lance Cpl. Evan Eskharia, a basic water systems technician with Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (Forward), received his United States citizenship during a naturalization ceremony at Al Faw Palace here April 12. Marine Lance Cpl. Evan Eskharia shows off his certificate of naturalization after a ceremony at Al-Faw Palace, Baghdad, April 12. Eskharia has wanted to be a U.S. citizen since coming to America when he was a child. He serves as a basic water systems technician assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 374, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. U.S....

CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, April 14, 2008 – Two hundred fifty-nine foreign-born U.S. troops serving throughout Iraq became American citizens at Al Faw Palace here April 12 in the largest U.S. naturalization ceremony to date in Iraq. Army Spc. Simon Nbenye, an Arabic interpreter with Company D, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, admires his American flag and certificate of naturalization April 12, 2008, at Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory, in Baghdad, during the largest American naturalization ceremony to date in Iraq. Nbenye, a former citizen of war-torn Sudan, entered the United States...

Package of a Marine born in Baghdad becoming an American Citizen at a ceremony held at Al-Faw Palace in Baghdad. Produced by Staff Sgt. Ryan O' Hare. Also see "Iraqi Marine Becomes American Citizen" in the b-roll section.

Soldiers become American citizens in Africa DJIBOUTI (March 16, 2008) — Seven Soldiers supporting the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa mission became U.S. citizens during a Military Naturalization Ceremony at the U.S. Embassy March 13. After enlisting in the Army and serving the United States, Four Soldiers assigned to 1st Battalion, 294th Infantry (Light), Delta Company, and three Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, Delta Company, raised their right hands and said the Oath of Allegiance. During the ceremony, Ambassador W. Stuart Symington, U.S. Ambassador to Djibouti and keynote speaker, addressed the candidates reminding them about the oath...

U.S. Marine Cpl. Mario Ramos-Villalta put on his freshly pressed uniform early Thursday as a citizen of El Salvador. By the end of the day, he would be a citizen of the United States of America. Ramos-Villalta told CNN: "It means a lot to me after so many years and two combat deployments." 3 of 3more photos » "I am an American," he said with a smile, moments after his paperwork cleared. "It means a lot to me after so many years and two combat deployments, I finally get it, being an American. We are happy about it."

U.S. Marine Cpl. Mario Ramos-Villalta put on his freshly pressed uniform early Thursday as a citizen of El Salvador. By the end of the day, he would be a citizen of the United States of America. I am an American," he said with a smile moments after his paperwork cleared. "It means a lot to me after so many years and two combat deployments, I finally get it, being an American. We are happy about it." "It's all thanks to CNN -- my news coming out, my story. That helped me out a lot," he said, referring to a story...

A lawsuit filed Thursday in a New York federal court by Latino immigrants seeks to force immigration authorities to complete hundreds of thousands of stalled naturalization petitions in time for the new citizens to vote in November. (snip) The class action suit was brought by the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund on behalf of legal Hispanic immigrants in the New York City area who are eager to vote... (snip) “It is astonishing the government should be so unresponsive to immigrants who have enthusiastically taken all the steps to become Americans,” said Janet Murguía, president of the National Council...

Safaa Wadi moved to this former mill city after his life was threatened in his native Iraq while serving as an interpreter for the U.S. Army. He expects to soon head back to Iraq — not as a civilian interpreter, but as a U.S. soldier. Wadi arrived in the United States in September with a special immigrant visa for Iraqi and Afghan interpreters. But with his savings nearly depleted and unable to land a decent job, Wadi enlisted in the Army. He begins training in South Carolina on Monday. Wadi isn't worried about returning to Iraq, where many of his...

FORT HUACHUCA — He has only been an American citizen since January, but Spc. Charles has proven himself a steadfast solider. That was proven Wednesday when Maj. Gen. John Custer, commander of the Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca, presented Charles a Purple Heart for wounds suffered in Iraq last year. Charles — his first name — is all that can be used to identify the soldier. He is an Arabic translator who was born in Sudan and lived for a while as a refugee in Ethiopia. No photos of translators born in other nations serving in the U.S. Army are...

Julia Moreno has been following the presidential campaign and studying the issues. She has even chosen her favorite candidate: "La Señora Clinton." Moreno, a legal immigrant from Guatemala who came to Los Angeles more than 30 years ago, applied for citizenship this summer so she would be able to vote -- starting with the 2008 presidential election. But U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced recently that green card holders who applied after June 1 could have to wait 16 to 18 months for their applications to be processed. For Moreno, that means she might be unable to cast her ballot...

After being a Legal Permanent U.S. Resident for the past 35 years (Canadian citizen /my hubby is U.S. citizen by birth), yesterday December 14, 2007, I was sworn in as a U.S. CITIZEN at the U.S. District Court in Concord, NH !! I am SO PROUD and SO EXCITED !! 93 new citizens were sworn in from 33 different countries! It was a WONDERFUL ceremony ! Every nationality you could imagine was represented ! Within 3 hours of getting sworn in, I went to my local Town Hall and REGISTERED TO VOTE ! So I will be "good to go"...

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Sixty U.S. service members from countries including Cuba, Ethiopia, the Philippines and Vietnam became American citizens on Monday during a ceremony in Afghanistan. Maj. Gen. David Rodriguez, the commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, congratulated the soldiers on their new citizenship and thanked them for the oath they took to defend the United States. "Today they will swear a second oath to the country they've already pledged to defend," Rodriguez said at a ceremony coinciding with Veterans Day. "An oath of allegiance to the nation they are supporting as a member of her armed forces, deployed...

The Northern Virginia office of the federal agency that processes immigration applications will hold its first public forum next month to answer questions from immigrants. The forum also is intended to spread word that the agency, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, is distinct from its feared federal cousins, the Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. "We don't want people to fear us," said Greg Christian, director of the Vienna office of USCIS.... The agency is often assailed...as an impenetrable bureaucracy with complicated forms and a help hotline that dispenses unreliable information. It has also recently...

Clinton campaigns; Hillary wants to create a path to citizenship By TRICIA CORTEZ, LAREDO MORNING TIMES 09/15/2007 Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyStumping for his wife, who is leading the pack in most polls, former President Bill Clinton spoke to several hundred Laredoans and Nuevo Laredoans on Friday evening and explained why Hillary is "best suited" for the White House."This next president is going to have to undo a lot of damage," Clinton said at the private fundraiser held at Palenque Grill. He made references to an economy "on the brink of recession," growing inequality between the haves and the...

Better late than never - even when it's seven years late. In 2000, Congress passed a law authorizing visas for illegal immigrant crime victims. Seven years later, federal immigration officials say they're finally ready to start issuing "U-visas" to certain victims who cooperate with law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of violent crimes. Federal immigration officials attribute the delay to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the resulting mass reorganization of government agencies in the wake of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "We realize it took a long amount of time," U.S. Citizenship and...

Naturalization, re-enlistment ceremony held on America’s 231st birthday Thursday, 05 July 2007 Senator John McCain and Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin Hill, senior enlisted advisor for Multi-National Force-Iraq, congratulate a Soldier on becoming a U.S. citizen July 4 at Camp Victory. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Jeffrey Hunnewell, Combined Press Information Center. BAGHDAD — Hundreds of Soldiers became citizens of the country they risk their lives for, while others decided to extend their time in service to continue the fight against terrorism. The U.S. Army conducted a naturalization and re-enlistment ceremony at Camp Victory on Wednesday. Over 160 Soldiers became...

I was at the swearing ceremony and it was very moving. This guy was smiling like he just won the lottery. He was happy and wanted to share it with the world. As you can see on the video, he was very proud and shared his thought in spanish.

Florida: Jose Temprana, a 105-year-old man of Cuban birth, has gained his citizenship in the United States. He arrived on a humanitarian visa aged 93 after spending 30 years in prison for smuggling weapons for a failed US-backed insurrection attempt. Temprana has been married twice and currently has a girlfriend. He was a lobster fisherman/sponge diver by trade and fathered eight children. Locally he is known as 'El Nino' (The Boy) because of his spirit and vitality. "I feel different, satisfied, very happy. It was worth the wait. I've wanted ... it since I was 8 or 10 years old,"...

MIAMI (AP) -- A 105-year-old native of Cuba has finally had his wish fulfilled. He's become a U.S. citizen. Jose Temprana celebrated by sipping champagne with friends at the Hispanic Community Center in Miami Saturday. Temprana was born in September 1901. He worked as a sponge diver and lobster fisherman. He had eight children with his first wife, who died giving birth to the youngest. His second wife died in 2002. In 1964, he was imprisoned in Cuba for smuggling weapons from the United States into the island for an insurrection against Fidel Castro. He wasn't released until he was...

MIAMI, Fla. -- Jose "El Nino" Temprana, a 105-year-old former Cuban political prisoner, became a U.S. citizen Friday. Temprana took the oath of citizenship in Miami early Friday. -snip- During the Cuban Revolution, he and three of his sons opposed Fidel Castro and were imprisoned in 1964 for 30 years. Following his sentence, he moved to Miami and has been free for the past 12 years. In the same ceremony Friday, Edgar Renteria of the 1997 World Series champions Florida Marlins also became a U.S. citizen. Renteria is now a shortstop for the Atlanta Braves.