SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio firefighter lived in the United States since childhood officially became an American citizen Thursday, joining 47 others from 16 countries during a naturalization ceremony held ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
The moment marked the end of a years long journey for Kendell Ramlal, who’s originally from Trinidad and Tobago.
“I’ve been here since I was four years old,” Ramlal said after taking the Oath of Allegiance. “Obviously I’m a firefighter, so I like to give back to the community, and it feels great to actually be a part of the community officially. Still doesn’t feel real, but I’m loving every moment of it so far.”
Ramlal, who serves as a firefighter in San Antonio, said becoming a U.S. citizen makes his commitment to serving the community even more meaningful.
While the ceremony highlighted the culmination of the naturalization process, immigration attorney Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch said many immigrants continue to face uncertainty earlier in the immigration system.
“The immigration court system is a complete mess,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “That’s primarily because the immigration court system is an administrative court system.”
Lincoln-Goldfinch said obtaining a green card — often a prerequisite to applying for citizenship — has become increasingly unpredictable.
While some applicants move through the process without issue, others face requests for additional evidence or denials.
“In some green card cases, we’ve seen people denied outright or issued notices of intent to deny or requests for evidence,” Lincoln-Goldfinch said. “In other cases, they sail right through. It’s not one impact evenly across the board. It really varies widely.”
Ramlal said his own path to citizenship was relatively smooth, though it took years to complete.
Now officially an American citizen, he hopes others still navigating the process remain encouraged.
“Pray about it,” Ramlal said. “Trust God that he will open doors for you.”
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