WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will celebrate Independence Day this year by welcoming more than 5,500 new citizens in more than 180 naturalization ceremonies between June 30 and July 7. These ceremonies demonstrate our commitment to welcoming immigrants and promoting the benefits of U.S. citizenship for all who are eligible. In fiscal year (FY) 2022, USCIS welcomed 974,000 new U.S. citizens. So far in FY 2023, USCIS has welcomed 588,900 new U.S. citizens as of June 7 and made significant progress in reducing our naturalization pending queues.
“Promoting citizenship and making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible are a beautiful extension of many ideals that birthed our nation 247 years ago,†said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “This holiday is always a special opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the USCIS mission and to welcome new citizens as they begin their American journey.â€
Every July 4, we celebrate the day the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, declaring that the 13 American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation—the United States of America—and were no longer part of the British Empire. USCIS commemorates this momentous occasion by hosting special Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country. Throughout these ceremonies, USCIS will honor and recognize the commitment and contributions of our newest U.S. citizens.
This summer, USCIS is highlighting the importance of civics and citizenship with a series of events. Civics Season began with a special ceremony on World Refugee Day and will end with the Fiscal Year 2023 Citizenship and Integration Grants award announcement.
This year’s Independence Day activities will include special naturalization ceremonies across the country, including close to our nation’s capital at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello in Virginia, and the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia. For additional venues, please view a list of highlighted 2023 Independence Day-themed ceremonies.
USCIS reaffirms our commitment to making the naturalization process accessible to all who are eligible. Since the beginning of the Biden-Harris administration, USCIS has taken a number of steps to support implementation of Executive Order 14012: Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration System and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans.
After each naturalization ceremony, we encourage new U.S. citizens to share their naturalization stories and photos on social media using the hashtag #NewUScitizen.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
