Immigration
USCIS to Welcome 19,000 New Citizens in Celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day this year by welcoming more than 19,000 new citizens in more than 235 naturalization ceremonies across the nation between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23.
“Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, USCIS has been working tirelessly in communities to raise awareness about citizenship consistent with our mission to uphold America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve,†said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “Constitution Day and Citizenship Day celebrations provide a wonderful opportunity to highlight our agency’s efforts, while welcoming more U.S. citizens to our American family.â€
On Sept. 17, the nation observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day as part of Constitution Week (Sept. 17 to 23). The commemoration honors both the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.†Citizenship Day began in 1952, signed into law by President Harry Truman and, in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week.
Each year, USCIS celebrates Constitution Day and Citizenship Day – and Constitution Week – by celebrating the connection between the Constitution and citizenship, reflecting on what it means to be a citizen of the United States, holding special naturalization ceremonies across the country, encouraging new citizens to take action to fully exercise their new rights and responsibilities including registering to vote, and releasing new tools and resources that can help aspiring applicants pursue citizenship. Following each naturalization ceremony, USCIS encourages new U.S. citizens and their families and friends to share their naturalization photos on social media using the hashtags #NewUSCitizen, #ConstitutionWeek, and #CitizenshipDay.
This year’s Constitution Day and Citizenship Day-themed naturalization ceremonies include a naturalization ceremony held at Tumacácori National Historical Park in Arizona on Sept. 16; the World Food & Music Festival in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 16; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, on Sept. 19; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 20; Homestead National Park in Beatrice, Nebraska, on Sept. 22; and George Washington’s Mount Vernon in Virginia on Sept. 23. On Sept. 17, Director Jaddou will participate in a special ceremony at Ellis Island in New York Harbor and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas will participate in a ceremony in Los Angeles aboard the USS Iowa. For additional venues, please view a list of highlighted 2022 Constitution Day- and Citizenship Day-themed ceremonies.
USCIS reaffirms its commitment to promoting citizenship and making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible. The agency has taken a number of steps to support implementation of President Biden’s Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans, as well as implementation of the Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization, released on July 2, 2021. The Interagency Strategy for Promoting Naturalization calls for a multi-faceted approach operating on the national, state, and community-based levels to encourage the roughly 9 million lawful permanent residents eligible for naturalization today to become citizens.
In addition to holding more than 235 ceremonies across the country as part of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, USCIS will also host numerous activities throughout the month of September, all aimed at empowering immigrants to pursue citizenship along with the rights and opportunities that come with it. The agency will also publicly release an Eligible to Naturalize Dashboard to share statistical information about populations that may be eligible to seek naturalization in the United States and a “Two Generational Family Toolkit†to help families learn about citizenship and prepare for the naturalization test together. The dashboard provides statistics on those eligible to apply for naturalization by birth country and geographic location.
For more information about USCIS’ Constitution Day and Citizenship Day activities, please see the USCIS Celebrates Citizenship Day 2022 Fact Sheet.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
8 hours ago
OICC global president: IOC terms K. Sudhakaran’s action flouts party norms and protocols.
20 hours ago
Police arrest protesters at Columbia University, clear occupied building
20 hours ago
Blinken arrives in Israel to push for Gaza truce deal
20 hours ago
Israeli PM vows ground attack on Rafah 'with or without' deal with Hamas
20 hours ago
Prof Dr Vishwanath D Karad, eminent Indian educationist, reaffirms his commitment to walk on the pathway shown by Swami Vivekananda in Fullerton Hall, Chicago 130 years ago!
20 hours ago
The Federation of Indian Associations of Chicago celebrates Holi, Festival of Colors, with fervor and enthusiasm.
20 hours ago
AAPI Charitable Foundation in Collaboration with Embassy of India in Guatemala Organizes Healthcare Camps
20 hours ago
Famous Kavis from India enthrall the audience with laughter and poetry
20 hours ago
Secretary of Tripura's prominent club shot dead, one arrested
20 hours ago
Gujarat AAP Secretary demands action following murder of retired police couple in Himmatnagar
20 hours ago
Telangana’s richest candidates battling it out in Chevella
20 hours ago
Senior IPS officer Satish Golcha gets interim charge as DG prisons in Delhi
20 hours ago
After quitting Congress, ex-Punjab MLA Dalvir Singh Goldy joins AAP