Nearly 10 weeks after America celebrated its 250th birthday, the United States welcomed 71 of its newest citizens Tuesday, who celebrated a different re-birth.
On Sept. 15, 2026, a Naturalization Ceremony was held at Augustana College’s Centennial Hall, Rock Island, as U.S. District Court Judge Sara Darrow conferred the honor on 71 immigrants from 28 countries, who took the Oath of Allegiance and were sworn in as new U.S. citizens.
“Where else but this great country can so many people from so many different places and different backgrounds stand together as absolute equals?” Darrow (who serves the Central District of Illinois) said Tuesday. “You are now Americans in every sense of the word. We are honored to be in your company.
"What you have already accomplished by getting to this place is remarkable. The distances you may have traveled, the obstacles you have overcome, and the efforts you have made to put down roots here should, and I hope will always be sources
of pride and of satisfaction to you and your families," she said.
“No matter what reason you have for being here, we are all better for it,” the federal judge said. “In fact, you exemplify all that is good in this country. Freedom is paid for and earned through hard work, sacrifice, and sometimes blood. Never lose sight that America, though, is a beacon of hope and inspiration. Honor the traditions of the countries you once called home, but I ask that you please become a part of this melting pot.
"Because America needs you now more than ever. America needs your active citizenship, your fresh perspectives on our toughest problems, and your cultural contributions. For in America, anyone from anywhere can invent, inspire and improve," Darrow added.
“We are so incredibly honored to welcome you to this nation filled with opportunity and prosperity,” said Rock Island Arsenal Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Asuncion. “You pursued this day wholeheartedly and pledged your allegiance to this country. Now we welcome you to the American family. Your courage and the remarkable journey you have made are forever woven into the larger story of this nation.
“While you have completed the arduous requirements to become a citizen, you still have a demanding and rewarding task ahead of you, and this is the hard work of active citizenship,” he told the group. “You have rights and you have responsibilities, and now you can help us to write the next great chapter in the American story. Thank you for choosing the United States of America and for believing that America is worthy of your aspirations and your dreams.”
Asuncion noted he is first-generation Filipino-American; his father was naturalized in the 1970s and his mother in the 1980s.
“Congratulations, fellow Americans. Today marks a new chapter in your lives, a chapter you have earned through your courage, determination, and hope,” he said. “You have traveled many paths to reach this moment, bringing your experiences, energy, and dreams. Supporting the Constitution is more than just an oath.
"It means dedication to yourself, to the ideals of this nation, to form a more perfect union. Establish justice, promote general welfare, and secure blessings of liberty to all. As you prepare to take on your new responsibilities as U.S. citizens, you share in the rights and responsibilities that define America. These rights are precious and have been earned and protected by your fellow Americans. So vote, speak freely, practice your faith or none at all.
“And participate fully in our democracy. Never forget your story, your heritage, your culture are now part of the American story. The things that you cherish about your past, your memories, your food, your music, and your celebrations enrich our nation,” Asuncion said. “America is stronger and greater because of the diversity and vitality that each new citizen brings. Welcome to your land. Welcome to your country.
"Welcome home. May your story here be everything you have dreamt and more," he added. "Congratulations, and thank you for being a part of America’s history.”
From Cuba to Chicago to QC
Hector Castellanos, a 67-year-old native of Havana, Cuba, is one of these new citizens. His family moved to Miami in 1970, and after a few years, to Chicago.
After retiring from working in hotel maintenance and engineering in Florida and California, he and his wife Maria moved two years ago to the Quad Cities, to be close to his daughter, who lives in Rock Island.
Castellanos said he hadn’t applied for citizenship before moving here because, “Life happens. That's what I want to say. And you put things aside that you shouldn't,” he said. “And finally, my wife and I both applied after we moved here, and she got her citizenship before me.”
Maria is Mexican, became a U.S. citizen three months ago, and they bought a house in Moline. “I'm proud to have a grandson in the Navy, a son in the Army who served in Iraq, and a nephew that served in Afghanistan in the Marines,” Hector said Tuesday, adding they have 11 grandkids and two great-grandchildren.
“Next to my kids and my wife, this is the biggest dream of my life,” he said of gaining citizenship. “Oh my God. And I never thought I would feel like this, but I just can't put it into words. I'm just glad I didn't cry up there. We tried. Mine was actually delayed because I'm from Cuba. So I got a letter saying mine was delayed.”
“America's given to me so much,” Hector said, noting he can’t wait to vote in his first election. “I mean, life, liberty, pursuit of happiness. I've had great jobs. My children have had great opportunities. I can't complain.”
“My heart is still beating out of my chest. It is indescribable,” he said outside Centennial Hall.
Swearing in new citizens
During the ceremony, the Oath of Allegiance was read by Officer Andrea Walton, of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security, and repeated as a group by the new citizens.
Judge Darrow said that personally, granting citizenship is one of her favorite parts of the job.
“It’s also a huge honor to be able to welcome each of you now as our brother and sister in citizenship,” she said, noting her mother-in-law took the same oath over 50 years ago in Rock Island, having been from Latvia.
“Next to the day that she was married and the birth of her children, that was the most important day of her life,” Darrow said. “I ask that you go home tonight and just jot down a few words about how you’re feeling and what this means to you, as the students shared with us in their essays.”
“You truly come from all four corners of this earth to create a melting pot that we call the great experiment of America,” she said. “Sometimes we forget what it really means. We are a nation of immigrants. This country was built with the blood, sweat, and tears of Native Americans and immigrants, and wave after wave of immigrants have renewed and enriched the American dream, and contributed to the cultural, spiritual, and intellectual wealth of our country.
"An American success story, comprised of generations of immigrants who built this great nation. And now all of you will certainly make your mark as well.”
Darrow read the name of every country from which each new citizen hails (asking them to stand as she read the name) and noted that this time the leading country was Mexico (home to 23 citizens), with Congo coming in second.
Students from Augustana College and Alleman, Jordan, and Seton Catholic schools attended Tuesday’s ceremony to witness an important civics lesson and celebrate with our newest citizens of this great country.
Leading up to the ceremony, Alleman, Jordan, and Seton students participated in an art and essay contest, with the winners being recognized at the ceremony. Several artworks were displayed at the Centennial Hall lobby.
Darrow handed out prizes to student winners, and read an excerpt from one, Angelica Torres of Alleman High School.
“My parents immigrated from the Philippines to the United States of America to live a better life and achieve the American dream,” her essay said. “I watched my mom work hard for her citizenship, so I knew I should always appreciate having mine. I am one of the first people in my immediate family to experience the American dream, and my citizenship has granted me that. I won't forget all of the hard work my parents put in to make sure I received the best life I could. Instead, I'll cherish it and ensure I do my part as a citizen because I know how important the title is.”
During the ceremony, selected students led reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, and Darrow and Walton greeted each new citizen with a certificate (similar to handing out diplomas at commencement).
Importance of immigrants to QC
Augustana President Andrea Talentino noted the private liberal-arts school was founded by Swedish immigrants 166 years ago, and for its first 41 years, it was led by presidents who were themselves immigrants.
“America as a whole, and the Quad Cities in particular, would not be what they are without immigrants who chose to step away from their original homes and cultures and make a new home here,” she said. “Augustana is far from the only example. John Deere, the Figge Art Museum, and the Quad City Symphony Orchestra all owe their existence to immigrants. But this is not to say that they left their roots behind. During my trip to Sweden, I was pleased to see that many threads of memory still very much alive at this college were very clearly spun long ago in the homeland of Augustana's founders.
“Some of these deal with food and music, while others have to do with deeper concepts like care for the neighbor and service to the community,” Talentino said. “In other words, there are many things we do today at this institution, this thoroughly American institution, that are still very Swedish. We still honor our immigrant roots and the values they instilled in this institution.
"And so I offer a challenge to all those here today, whether you were born in Mexico or Morocco, whether in Togo or Thailand, or any of the nations, other nations represented here today, keep your traditions and values and culture alive. Pass it along in your family and share it with your neighbors.”
She urged all new citizens (age 18 and up) to vote in U.S. elections on Nov. 3.
“Your candidates may win or they may lose, but either way, our shared commitment to the idea of this great country will be sustained by each of our individual decisions to vote,” Talentino said, encouraging them to register to vote right after the ceremony at a table in the lobby. She also quoted from the 250-year-old Declaration of Independence’s most famous sentence – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The 16th president, Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, focused on the Declaration when he wrote in 1857: “The assertion that all men are created equal was of no practical use in effecting our separation from Great Britain, and it was placed in the Declaration not for that, but for future use. Its authors knew the proneness of prosperity to breed tyrants, and they meant when such should reappear in this fair land and commence their vocation, they should find left for them at least one hard nut to crack.”
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