521 delighted to be U.S. citizens

Some waited more than 20 years for this week's rites

People entering the Capitol Theatre to participate in a recent naturalization ceremony were simply radiant, Sheryl Burgin, an usher at the event, observed.

Burgin was working at the monthly ceremony for the first time and said she was moved by the attendees' devotion and gratitude.

"Seeing the oath and ceremony renews patriotism a great deal in me because these people have worked so hard," Burgin said. "We as citizens often take our liberties for granted."

For many of the 521 people who were naturalized, the event was a culmination of years of paperwork and long phone calls. Some in attendance had waited more than 20 years from the day they sent their initial forms until they were able to take an oath of allegiance to the United States on Wednesday.

In 2007, there were 23 lawsuits filed against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services because plaintiffs had not heard on the status of their applications 120 days after completing their citizenship interviews.

A total of 7.7 million applications for various immigration benefits poured into USCIS in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30, 2007. In 2008, the service has begun to keep up with the flow with more funds for operations being generated from increased application fees.

According to Maria Elena Garcia-Upson, regional media manager for the Department of Homeland Security, between Oct. 1, 2007, and Aug. 31, Salt Lake City has sworn in 3,348 new citizens.

Giselle Airriess moved to the United States from Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1980 and decided to become a citizen after realizing she had spent more than half her life here, she said. After 26 years of living in the United States, she began to fill out the paperwork and take the necessary steps to become a citizen.

The process took Airriess more than two years, she said. The work was arduous and frustrating with lots of steps and long bouts of time in between. Yet, Airriess said, she never considered not pursuing citizenship to the end; she wanted a voice.

"I feel like now I fully belong," Airriess said. "I can participate in all this country means."

For Airriess, that participation will begin when she casts her vote in the November elections, she said. As a legal resident, Airriess was forced to view American politics from the sideline, and she said she is excited to have a say in local, state and national issues.

"One more voice might just mean something," Airriess said.

"This is such a pivotal moment for me," Alberto Rivera, another participant in the ceremony, said. "This is a great time to be part of a country with so much opportunity."

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Contributing: Associated Press

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E-mail: cnorlen@desnews.com

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