New USCIS office opens in Fort Myers
In the past, immigrants who were to become U.S. citizens had to go to Miami, Tampa and West Palm Beach to be sworn in.
Not anymore.
On Friday, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services opened its new field office in Fort Myers with a celebration, ribbon-cutting and, to really break it in, the first naturalization ceremony where 20 people were made citizens of this country.
Sharon Scheidhauer, public affairs officer with the USCIS, said it was an exciting day, the opening of the first true Southwest Florida office.
“Before today, if you needed service, you had to go to Tampa. We’re thrilled to be opening this new office and dedicating it to a Medal of Honor recipient, as well as making 20 new Americans,” Scheidhauer said.
The office was dedicated to U.S. Army Sgt. Charles MacGillivary, who earned the Medal of Honor for his valor in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded on New Year’s Day 1945.
MacGillivary became a citizen shortly before enlisting in the Army when an officer took him and two other immigrants to a federal courthouse to be sworn in.
“I thought if I’m going to fight for this country, I should be a U.S. citizen,” MacGillivary said years later.
Charlene Corea, MacGillivary’s daughter, said it was a tremendous honor.
“My father would have been honored being a naturalized citizen himself. He would go to different places saying this is the greatest country in the world,” Corea said. “He appreciated his rights and privileges as a citizen, so for his name to be associated with this office, he would have been honored.”
While the first ceremony was nice, the second one was even better as 20 people from 11 different nations were sworn in as new U.S. citizens.
Rocio Ematos, who lives in Cape Coral but is originally from Peru, said she is very proud, especially since her son is in the U.S. Army.
“I came here in 1999 for better opportunities and for my two children. I work at an assisted living facility,” Ematos said. “It’s amazing, I’ll be one of the first sworn into this building. I was ready to go to Tampa, but to come here is amazing.”
Bernard Alcine of Naples said his father migrated to the U.S. from Haiti and has been a resident nearly his entire life, having moved here from the Bahamas as a baby. That’s why for him, it’s almost like any other day.
“It’s like I’m an American already. Now, the paperwork makes it official. I’m very happy. But I’m also keeping my composure. It’s a good feeling, it makes things a lot better and takes pressure off me,” Alcine said.
After her swearing in, Maria Alvarez, one of six new citizens who came here from Cuba, was very proud of the moment as she shared it with her young son and mother.
“It the best thing that’s ever happened to me, coming from Cuba to become a citizen,” Alvarez said, who has lived here for three years. “Freedom brought me here, and it was hard getting here. It’s always hard. But it was worth it.”
The 22 employees of the 17,000-square-foot Fort Myers office will provide a range of immigration services, including naturalization interviews and permanent resident processing.
The office serves residents from Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry, Lee and Okeechobee counties, parts of Sarasota County and limited areas of Highlands and Miami-Dade counties.
USCIS is the agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that oversees the legal immigration system. The Fort Myers office is at 4220 Executive Circle, Suite 1.