USCIS Celebrates Independence Day 2024 and Continues Its Commitment to Naturalization
WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will celebrate Independence Day this year by welcoming approximately 11,000 new citizens in more than 195 naturalization ceremonies between June 28 and July 5. These ceremonies demonstrate our government’s commitment to welcoming immigrants and promoting the benefits of U.S. citizenship for all who are eligible. In fiscal year 2023, USCIS welcomed 878,500 new U.S. citizens. So far in FY 2024, USCIS has welcomed 589,400 new citizens and made significant progress in reducing our naturalization pending queues.
“At USCIS we are privileged to administer the Oath of Allegiance to thousands of new citizens during the Independence Day holiday,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou. “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.”
Every July 4, we celebrate the day the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, declaring the 13 American colonies a new nation: the United States of America. USCIS has a proud tradition of commemorating this momentous occasion by hosting special Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the globe. Through these ceremonies, USCIS will honor and recognize the commitment and contributions of our newest U.S. citizens.
This year’s Independence Day activities will include special naturalization ceremonies across the country, including close to our nation’s capital. On July 4, Deputy Assistant to the President Blas Nuñez-Neto will participate in a ceremony at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Additional Independence Day ceremonies will be held across the country, including at Battleship New Jersey, Gateway Arch National Park in Missouri, and Fort Clatsop, Lewis & Clark National Historic Park, in Oregon. For additional venues, please view a list of highlighted 2024 Independence Day-themed ceremonies.
USCIS reaffirms its 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 Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans.
USCIS is raising awareness of the contributions naturalized citizens make to the United States through the Outstanding Americans by Choice initiative and providing $12.6 million in grants to immigrant-serving organizations, including the open application period for the Citizenship and Integration Training Academy, a new competitive funding opportunity. We have also expanded the Citizenship Ambassador initiative, which helps to amplify immigration information and assistance to many more communities.
Additionally, USCIS has continued our support of U.S. military members, veterans, and their families by streamlining the naturalization process and providing dedicated support and specialized services to assist the military community, including dedicated pages on our website, a special Military Help Line for service members, fee waivers on most applications, and special handling of military naturalization applications.
After each naturalization ceremony, USCIS encourages new U.S. citizens to share their naturalization stories and photos on social media using the hashtag #NewUSCitizen.