Red, white and blue balloons swayed in the breeze as a brass band played and performers showed off traditional cultural attire, music and dance. Around 1,000 people were gathered to celebrate the city's newest U.S. citizens the same day the country celebrated its 250th birthday.

Seattle Center hosted 252 people from 55 countries as they were sworn in as U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony in the early afternoon at the Fisher Pavilion under the Space Needle. The ceremony was among the events planned in the region to celebrate Independence Day and the country's 250th anniversary, including Seafair Fourth of July fireworks at Gas Works Park and family-friendly events, beer gardens, food vendors, live music and firework displays from Arlington to Tacoma.

The around two-hour event started with Chinese and Croatian dances and included a performance by Native American storyteller Gene Tagaban.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal and U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell were among the political leaders celebrating diversity and American patriotism in their speeches, while careful to avoid dwelling too long on the country's current political challenges.

President Donald Trump has made deportations and immigration crackdowns a centerpiece of his administration, and fear has followed in communities across the country. According to an analysis of data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services by NPR, the department approved a record-low number of naturalization applications in January.

Jayapal, who said she is one of only two dozen naturalized citizens to serve in Congress, called immigrants the bedrock of American identity and said the country's continued evolution depends on each of its citizens celebrating their culture but also voting in elections.

"You have not just inherited America's past, you have claimed ownership of its future," she said.

Jayapal also mentioned to cheers that the legal milestone not only coincided with the nation's 250th birthday but also the week the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly reaffirmed the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship.

Cantwell highlighted the immigrants who fought to end slavery in the Civil War, less than a century after the Declaration of Independence was signed, and then-President Abraham Lincoln's words that immigrants were a "source of national wealth and strength."

The remarks from Cantwell and other politicians were similar to those made by then-President Gerald Ford at a naturalization ceremony for the country's 200th birthday.

Ford said the nation was "kept free by the moral strength and faith of our people and by the infusion of new strength and new faith which you, our newest citizens, give us today."

"A nation of immigrants, we have thrived on constant renewal by many peoples who bring us their very best," he said in 1976.

Calling on the newly naturalized citizens to "join us in this fight," Cantwell urged participants to go register to vote at one of the nearby booths as soon as the event-ending speech concluded.

"Today, we must preserve our Constitution … " she said. "You took the test; you know what it's about. Let's go put it in action."

Kemani Barrett, 24, who has been stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for the past three years, said he was excited when he found out his naturalization ceremony date would fall on the Fourth of July and the country's 250th birthday.

Barrett, who is from Spanish Town, Jamaica, was joined by his wife and two daughters — 3 years old and 3 months old. He said the event is "really patriotic" for him, especially as a member of the military.

Around nine people at the ceremony were active military members, including Barrett and Monaliza Kinyua, a private first class with the Army National Guard at Camp Murray.

Kinyua, 30, said she came to the U.S. in October 2024 as a recipient of the diversity immigrant visa lottery from Nairobi, Kenya, and found an Army recruiter shortly after. Kinyua said she joined the military to become naturalized and to improve her physical strength.

"I wish most people could have this opportunity, and I'm so grateful that this great nation offers people such a visa," she said.

Kinyua said she hoped to eventually bring her family in Kenya to the U.S. and hopes her younger sister will follow in her footsteps and serve in the military.

The grand event was the last thing Kinyua said she expected when her original naturalization ceremony in January was suddenly canceled.

"I can't wait to post a picture and for the whole world to see," she said. "I'm so honored."

For 24-year-old Naman Parik, who is from India, the event was the culmination of his family's long journey and hard work. Parik said he moved to Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood to work at Microsoft in 2023 after attending college in North Carolina.

"It's symbolic of all of our hard work. It's literally been ever since I was born to get to this day," he said. "I'm excited to stay true to the dream of the land of opportunities and the land of dreams.

In tradition with other naturalization ceremonies, the host recognized the oldest person to become naturalized at the ceremony, an 81-year-old man from the Philippines.

The host also read out each of the countries represented, pausing for cheers and for the participants to stand up and wave an American flag. The countries with the largest number of naturalized citizens at the ceremony included China, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and Canada.

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