Northampton is one of a handful of cities in Massachusetts that held swearing in ceremonies for new American citizens on July 4th.
This was the sixth year Mayor David Narkewicz hosted the event, sponsored by the Center for New Americans -- and the first time since Donald Trump took office.
Narkewicz said the anti-immigrant tone of the Trump administration did not take away from the joyfulness of the ceremony. However, he said, "there were some people I spoke with who I think the current political climate may have informed their decision to seek citizenship, to eliminate uncertainty or insecurity."
Forty-nine new American citizens -- most living in western Massachusetts -- were sworn in on the Northampton courthouse lawn. Narkewicz says the longest applause came for a woman from Syria, which is one of the countries listed in the Trump administration's travel ban.
