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Boston Globe

Amid Trump's deportations, citizenship brings relief and security to some new Americans

Nabil Souidi said he's been 'I follow all the news, and I was like, no, I'm not going to travel until I get my citizenship,' said Souidi, who is originally from Algeria. He said he followed the Get N.H. Morning Report A weekday newsletter delivering the N.H. news you need to know right to your inbox. Enter Email Sign Up Now, Souidi said, the trips he's been putting off – like visiting his brother in Canada – are back on. He said he's relieved to finally have his citizenship, and he's happy to be able to travel with ease. Advertisement His wife, Nesrine Bouziane watched the ceremony with their 2-year-old son, Amir Souidi. She filmed the entire ceremony, while her son quietly enjoyed some screen time. Bouziane said watching the news in the lead-up to the ceremony had been nerve-wracking, and she was nervous about whether her husband's application for citizenship would be accepted. The news about the Advertisement 'We're all Americans now,' said Bouziane, who was born in the United States. Bouziane and Souidi met through friends in Boston in 2019 when Souidi was visiting on vacation. Their relationship deepened over WhatsApp messages they exchanged over the next two years, and they married in 2021. They now live together in Nashua, and they're expecting their second child in August. 'I think it's a relief for him, and he's more comfortable,' Bouziane said of her husband securing his citizenship. Nesrine Bouziane, left, her husband Nabil Souidi, center, and their son, Amir Souidi, are pictured after Nabil Souidi was granted American citizenship in a naturalization ceremony on Friday hosted by New Hampshire's Secretary of State David Scanlan at the State Archives in Concord, N.H. Amanda Gokee This year was the second annual naturalization ceremony New Hampshire's Secretary of State David Scanlan has hosted at the State Archives. Similar events are held at other venues around the state. During Friday's naturalization event, 25 people from 17 different countries were granted American citizenship. 'It's that diversity that is really important to making us a strong, vibrant country that stands for freedom around the world,' said Scanlan. Governor Kelly A. Ayotte also addressed the new Americans, calling it an important moment in their lives and an important moment for the country. 'This is a wonderful day, and we are thrilled to welcome you as an American citizen,' she said. In recent months, Ayotte has made cracking down on illegal immigration a top issue, But on Friday, Ayotte congratulated the cohort of New Americans for successfully navigating the United States' immigration system. Advertisement 'It's not an easy process to navigate through our system, but you stuck with it,' she said. Eva Castillo, an immigrant rights advocate, urged the new citizens to start voting and remain active in their local communities around issues that are important to them. For new Americans, she said, citizenship can provide an extra sense of security, especially as some immigrant communities have grown fearful amid the Trump administration's deportation efforts. Once people have obtained citizenship, she said, it's only under extreme circumstances that they can be deported. 'That gives you an extra layer of protection,' she said in an interview after the event. Maykol Mamedes, 33, and his wife Samantha Mamedes, 31, said they, too, were breathing a sigh of relief that Maykol had been granted citizenship Friday. 'You feel more secure,' Maykol Mamedes said after the event. He is originally from Brazil, and he now lives with his wife and two children in Nashua. Of the two of them, Samantha Mamedes said she was more worried about paperwork and proving her husband's documentation, especially when there was a delay in renewing his green card and no way to prove he was in the United States lawfully. 'It's a good feeling knowing that we're on the tail end,' she said. Along with their two kids, the family said they planned to mark the occasion by going out to eat. And they had an extra reason to celebrate: Samantha Mamedes said her birthday was on the same day as the naturalization ceremony. Maykol Mamedes, left, and his wife Samantha Mamedes, right, their two children after a naturalization ceremony in Concord, N.H., on Friday. Amanda Gokee Amanda Gokee can be reached at