The United States will welcome thousands of new citizens this week to celebrate Independence Day.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced Friday that it would grant citizenship to 11,000 immigrants in more than 195 naturalization ceremonies across the country between June 28 and July 5.
“At USCIS, we are privileged to administer the Oath of Allegiance to thousands of new citizens during the Independence Day holiday,” USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou said in a statement. “These new citizens add diversity and character to our great nation, and we are committed to helping all who are eligible to experience the freedoms and liberties we enjoy as U.S. citizens.”
In fiscal year 2023, USCIS welcomed 878,500 new citizens, and so far in FY 2024, the agency says it has naturalized 589,400 immigrants.
Independence Day, observed on July 4, celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. USCIS commemorates this event by hosting special naturalization ceremonies across the country, which this year include George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Battleship New Jersey, Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri, and Fort Clatsop, Lewis & Clark National Historic Park in Oregon.
As part of his efforts to make naturalization more accessible, President Biden recently announced an executive order that will grant temporary legal status and a potential path to citizenship for roughly 500,000 undocumented immigrants married to U.S. citizens.
Are you eligible for citizenship? Learn more about the benefits of U.S. citizenship and preparing for the Oath of Allegiance ceremony.