https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-immigration-office-holding-some-in-person-naturalization-ceremonies/article_4bcfad32-fcc6-5845-8fd9-8daf34b9eade.html
BOISE — The closure of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices nationwide has led to a standstill for many immigrants involved in the citizenship process. Though the Boise office is not set to open until June 4, it has begun hosting naturalization ceremonies for people who are one step away from becoming citizens.
A USCIS spokesperson said the suspension of most in-person services, including interviews and naturalization ceremonies due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, has been extended until at least June 3, but the agency in limited situations is conducting small, in-person naturalization ceremonies before offices reopen to the public, with social distancing measures in place.
The Boise field office is hosting five ceremonies until June 4, when the office is expected to reopen.
The office held one ceremony on Thursday.
Victor Constantino, an interpreter with the International Rescue Committee in Boise, accompanied a client to the ceremony at the Boise USCIS office on Thursday.
Constantino said the USCIS office only allowed up to eight people present in a room for the ceremony at a time. He said when it was time for his client to participate, she was there with only one other person.
“If I could take a guess, I think we spent 10 minutes inside,” Constantino said. “It was very easy and quick.”
Typically, USCIS does a ceremony every month and there are hundreds of people involved in the ceremonies and their families there to watch.