Tension and relief were on display at the Moakley Federal Courthouse in Boston on Wednesday as 81 people from 34 countries became new U.S. citizens — just days after some would-be citizens were reportedly turned away from a similar ceremony at Boston's Faneuil Hall .

The Trump administration's temporary pause on immigration applications left many naturalization candidates fearing their long-awaited moment might be interrupted.

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"Today is a very special day," said Ederlei Pereira, a new American citizen from Brazil. "This is my dream."

Many feared that dream would turn into a nightmare.

"I think I was – yesterday – really nervous to arrive here and then have this canceled," said Sara Vidal, a newly-sworn-in citiz

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