USCIS to celebrate Independence Day with naturalization ceremonies across the Country

#US; #IndependceDay; #USCIS; #NaturalizationCeremonies; #Immigrants; #Citizens
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Washington/Canadian-Media: United States (U.S.) Independence Day on July 4 this year would be celebrated by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) by welcoming more than 9,400 new citizens in 170 naturalization ceremonies between June 30 and July 7 to demonstrate its commitment to welcoming immigrants from all over the world.

USCIS. Image credit: Twitter handle

“This year marks the 245th birthday of our Nation,” said Acting USCIS Director Tracy Renaud. “We are committed to promoting policies and procedures that ensure we operate fairly and efficiently, and continue to encourage and embrace the full participation of the newest Americans in our democracy .”

Declaration of Independence in the US was adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1776 declaring the 13 American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation the United States of America — a nd were no longer part of the British Empire.

Special Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country are hosted by USCIS to commemorate this momentous occasion.

Two special ceremonies would be held on this year’s Independence Day activities including a naturalization ceremony with President Biden at the White House on July 2 and a ceremony with Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas administering the Oath of Allegiance virtually to 22 military service members serving overseas, which took place on June 30.

This year’s Independence Day would be marked by additional ceremonies including a ceremony with Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien at the USCIS Atlanta office, ceremonies aboard the USS Constitution Museum in Boston with Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday and the Battleship USS Iowa in Los Angeles, and a special ceremony at George Washington’s Mount Vernon.

During these Independence Day-themed ceremonies, USCIS will honor and recognize the commitment and contributions of immigrants made to our Nation, including military members, front-line workers, and COVID-19 heroes who have played a critical role in helping our country respond to and recover from the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, a number of steps have been taken by the USCIS to support implementation of Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, including the reinstatement of the 2008 civics test, which took place in February. Reverting to the 2008 civics test was in keeping with other updates with the same purpose.

USCIS will make these naturalization ceremonies accessible to eligible people.

Following each naturalization ceremony, new U.S. citizens will be encouraged to share their naturalization stories and photos on social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.