The oath of citizenship was administered Nov. 29 to 51 people at TIAA Bank Field during halftime of the Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Cleveland Browns game. The new Americans ranged in age from 20 to 62. They were born in 24 countries on five continents.
The naturalization ceremony was coordinated by the judges of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida; and the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A naturalization ceremony at halftime of a Jaguars game has been scheduled in each of the past three seasons.
“We were so pleased to learn that the Jaguars wanted to continue the tradition of sharing this meaningful ceremony with their fans and broadcast audience by finding a way to conduct the ceremony within CDC guidelines and the Jaguars’ 2020 stadium protocols,” said U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard, who administered the oath of citizenship.
“We appreciate the thought that went into staging the ceremony on TIAA Bank Field’s Sky Terrace rather than the field. This open-air venue permits the applicants for citizenship to be socially distant from each other, from the fans and the team, and continues to provide a way to publicly celebrate their achievements.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacksonville federal judges conducted naturalization ceremonies every month in the Ceremonial Courtroom in the Bryan Simpson U.S. Courthouse, at schools and other community venues. Family members and friends of the applicants, students and members of community organizations were invited to witness the ceremonies.
With the social distancing required by the pandemic, it is not possible to conduct the ceremonies with large audiences at the courthouse, in school auditoriums or other public venues.