The US Constitution was signed by our Founding Fathers on September 17, 1787. The US Constitution serves as the supreme law of the country. The Bill of Rights, the Constitution along with the other amendments guarantee the rights of the US citizens. Americans celebrate the Constitution Day and Citizenship Day every year on September 17.
USCIS has set aside this whole week, from 17th to 23rd September, to celebrate the history of our country. This whole week is recognized as the Constitution Week. This is the right time for the Americans to reflect on their citizenship rights and responsibilities.
USCIS commemorates this day by conducting special naturalization ceremonies. It recognizes the immigrants who are taking steps to become US citizens. The agency helps such immigrants to prepare for their US citizenship tests. It offers several resources that would help the applicants to prepare for the civics and the English portions of their US citizenship test and interview.
USCIS is welcoming more than 18,000 new citizens during the Constitution Day and Citizenship Day special naturalization ceremonies, this year. The agency is conducting more than 180 special ceremonies during this Constitution week, between September 16 and September 23. USCIS has granted US citizenship to more than 3 million candidates, including people who serve in the US Armed Forces, over the past four years.
Several immigrants took the Oath of Allegiance during special naturalization ceremonies that were conducted yesterday. 25 people became US citizens during the special naturalization ceremony that was conducted yesterday at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Naturalization ceremonies were conducted in many other places and these ceremonies took place on the 226th anniversary of the signing of the US Constitution. People from Bolivia, Egypt, Bulgaria, India, Nepal, Ghana, Honduras, Iran, Jamaica, Iraq, Mauritania, Morocco, Mexico, Nigeria, France, Philippines, Pakistan, Peru, United Kingdom, Portugal, Sierra Leone, Venezuela, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Vietnam, received their naturalization certificates on 17th September and have become proud US citizens.
On this special day, President Obama stated that he would support the House Republicans’ piecemeal approach to immigration reform, if their legislation includes a path to US citizenship for the undocumented immigrants. Millions of immigrants who are out of status are longing to become legal residents and a part of the country. If immigration reform is passed, these undocumented immigrants would get an opportunity to live in the country legally without fear of deportation. They would also be able to achieve their American dream and obtain US citizenship.