25 Oregonians from 11 countries become naturalized in Eugene 4%
By Bayla Orton2%
7/31/2026, 4:03:38 AM
BS Summary: This article contains 11 faulty reasoning types, including Framing Effect, Negativity Bias, and Representativeness Heuristic, with Self-Serving Bias as the most egregious example at 8.9% saturation with 51 hits. Analysis detected 262 faulty-reasoning hits from 573 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 12.2% and a BS Rank of 4% (26,927 of 27,984 articles). This article is better (less manipulative) than 96.20% of the article peer group.
Surrounded by family members and public supporters, 25 Oregonians from 11 countries became U.S citizens July 30 at Eugene's Wayne Lyman Morse Courthouse.
Encompassing five continents, the countries included Mexico, New Zealand, Columbia, Czech Republic, Canada, England, El Salvador, Vietnam, Brazil, China and the Philippines.
The naturalization ceremony happens four times a year in Eugene and Portland hosts the formality one weekend each month, the only two locations in Oregon that do so regularly.
Courtroom benches were packed and cheers were abundant as many waited patiently to celebrate the citizenship of loved ones who have been living in the country for years.
Alejandra Martinez, who was born in Mexico, was officially welcomed into the U.S. surrounded by her children and extended family.
Her husband, Gustavo Sandoval, became a citizen in the same room 12 years ago, but without any family present.
Gustavo said he was happy to watch Martinez become naturalized while surrounded by loved ones, and he felt lucky to recollect on the moment he was granted citizenship.
Baltazar Morales, who was born in El Salvador, has lived in the U.S for 30 years.
Family members said his naturalization has given them a "big piece of mind" as they no longer have to worry about immigration enforcement.
The family drove from Roseburg to attend the ceremony.
"I have spent three decades living like a U.S. citizen, but without any rights," Morales said.
Radana Leisen, originally from the Czech Republic, excitedly shared her new last name.
Leisen and her husband live in Bend, where he is taking flight school classes.
It took her almost a decade to become a U.S citizen.
Nationwide, 26 million citizens were naturalized in 2024, according to a report by Congress.
Just over half were foreign-born, like those who were naturalized at Wayne Lyman Morse Courthouse on July 30.
That year, 6,830 people were naturalized in Oregon, according to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services report.
Gabriel Arevalo moved to the U.S 12 years ago from the Philippines and was joined by his wife, Mara, and son a decade later.
The family lives in Medford and drove to Eugene for Arevalo's naturalization.
Marcus Hayes, accompanied by his father, David, his mother, Raquel, and his sister, Aninha, played soccer professionally and grew up in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
After Hayes' name was called, family members clapped loudly in celebration.
Now, Hayes lives near Roseburg and said the naturalization process took five years.
Judge Kathryn Evans presided over the ceremony, and said it was her first naturalization event since becoming a judge in March.
During the address of welcome, Evans said this was one of the "days filled with pure joy" for the courthouse staff and visitors.
League of Women Voters Lane County members attended, providing voting information to the newly eligible voters.
Evans also encouraged the newly naturalized citizens to register to vote during her address, and family members of Morales said he was excited to cast a ballot for the first time after spending decades in the country.
Each person's path to citizenship was different.
The shortest was Yanira Torres, from El Salvador, who applied for citizenship at the beginning of 2025.
Leisen's lasted almost a decade.
Each naturalized citizen has lived in the United States for years longer through green cards and work or marriage visas.
Bayla Orton is a Snowden intern at The Register-Guard.
Reach her at BOrton@usatodayco.com.
Speakers
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100%flagged-word coverageBaltazar Morales
16 attributed words7.0% of attributed speech40% writer coverage
Attribution is sentence-level. Pattern percentages are calculated only from words assigned to that voice.
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