It took almost 106 years of living and 17 years residing in the United States, but Henriette Bolane is a citizen.
And as far as officials know, she's the oldest person ever to take the oath.Bolane started thinking about citizenship a few years ago, but it wasn't until President Clinton signed welfare reform legislation that her son-in-law got motivated to take her to Baltimore to fill out the paperwork.
They were worried that she would lose her Medicaid benefits, although the new law only bars legal immigrants from receiving cash benefits and does not affect Medicaid.
Still, perception can be reality.
"If she become a citizen, definitely they have to give that to her," said son-in-law Roger Guelce.
She became just that on Thursday. Ben Ferro, director of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, came to her home here to administer the oath to Bolane, who immigrated from Haiti in 1979.
"Whether you're born here or whether you're a citizen like this, it's all the same," Ferro told her. "That's the really important part. Everyone is equal here now."