USCIS Director, U.S. Attorney General Welcome New Citizens
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WASHINGTON - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas administered the Oath of Allegiance and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder delivered keynote remarks to 70 new citizens today during a special naturalization ceremony in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Great Hall.
"The Department of Justice has a proud history of protecting vulnerable immigrants from those who seek to exploit them," said Director Mayorkas. "It is an honor to welcome these new citizens alongside the Attorney General in the Great Hall—a symbol of the promise our nation makes to all its citizens to secure equal justice under the law."
"Like millions of immigrants who came before them – including my father and grandparents, who came to this country many years ago from Barbados – these new citizens have demonstrated remarkable faith in the principles of equality, opportunity and justice that have always stood at the core of our identity as a nation," said Attorney General Holder. "Many of them have faced great difficulties – and grave dangers – to reach this moment. But each of their individual stories proves the enduring promise of the American dream, and it’s a tremendous honor to welcome them as the newest members of our great and diverse American family."
The new citizens naturalized during today’s ceremony hailed from the following 34 countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Argentina, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, India, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Korea, Syria, Turkey, United Kingdom and Vietnam.
USCIS and DOJ are part of a multi-agency, nationwide initiative to combat immigration services scams. This initiative targets immigration scams involving the unauthorized practice of immigration law (UPIL), which occurs when individuals who are not attorneys or accredited representatives provide legal advice and/or representation regarding immigration matters.
For more information about USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.govor follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis), Facebook(/uscis), and the USCIS blog The Beacon.