CHICAGO (WLS) — In Chicago on Friday, numerous individuals were sworn in as new citizens. This naturalization ceremony took place amid heightened federal efforts to address illegal immigration.

Friday’s ceremony happened at Instituto del Progreso Latino.

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Amid a contentious discussion on immigration in the U.S., 54 foreign nationals concluded a lengthy process to become legal American citizens. This journey is known for being both arduous and costly.

In the current political climate, some of the new citizens said their new title of “American” might mean a new world of opportunity.

Against a backdrop of expansive, sun-drenched city views, 54 aspiring citizens awaited the moment that would fulfill their long-cherished aspirations of becoming American citizens.

“I feared that this day would never come,” new American citizen Elizabeth Cisneros said.

Arturo Cisneros, a new citizen himself, has returned to watch his grown daughter, Elizabeth, swear the very same oath he took just two months ago.

“I’m really proud because just to reach this point to become a citizen in the U.S. is a lot of work,” Arturo Cisneros said.

Their citizenship oath coincides with significant challenges faced by Latino immigrants in the U.S. Tensions in Chicago have been particularly high, due to ICE’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” targeting individuals accused of illegal presence in the country.

“I think they are managing the immigration process with a very strict approach,” Elizabeth Cisneros expressed. “As a soon-to-be citizen, I’m attempting to understand the other perspective and our current president’s stance.”

It’s a reality not lost on some of the other soon-to-be new citizens who hail from 26 countries, like Nigeria.

“I believe there’s a more humane way to treat individuals,” new U.S. citizen Ugochukwu Ozoemena remarked. “Even though the law must be upheld, I think there should be compassion in its enforcement.”

Now, as their first act as American citizens, they vow to defend those Constitutional rights that will now protect them as new Americans, by choice.

“I will always be Mexican. I was born and raised there,” Elizabeth Cisneros said. “But I’m very happy to be part of this community with the same rights as an American.

To even reach the moment where they can swear an oath to the United States Constitution, the 54 candidates for citizenship had to pass an American civics test, correctly answering at least six of 10 questions during an oral interview with a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officer. So, the new citizens are well-studied and versed on American history and the workings of government.