USCIS & New York Public Library to Welcome 40 New US Citizens at NYPL before 4th of July Weekend

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will welcome 40 new citizens Friday during a special ceremony to celebrate Independence Day. USCIS New York Deputy Director Scott Velez will administer the Oath of Allegiance to the new Americans. President of the New York Public Library Dr. Anthony Marx will provide welcoming remarks and host the citizenship candidates at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library.

The 40 citizenship candidates, including 15 U.S. military members, originate from the following 22 countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Georgia, Ghana, Haiti, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

This ceremony is part of USCIS’ annual Independence Day celebration of our nation’s 246th birthday and the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. USCIS will welcome new U.S. citizens at naturalization ceremonies across the country from July 1 through July 8.

Ceremonies at local institutions like NYPL’s Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library celebrate the conclusion of an immigrant’s journey to citizenship and honor the commitment they’ve shown along the way. Iconic venues not only make these events meaningful for those who have voluntarily chosen to participate in American democracy and dedicated themselves to the country’s future, but they also reflect the strength and spirit of the United States.

This year the Library is celebrating the nation’s birthday throughout July with its free Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures, which include several rare documents tied to the country’s founding: a copy of the Declaration of Independence that Thomas Jefferson hand-wrote to send to a select group of friends; one of the earliest printings of the Declaration of Independence; and an original copy of the Bill of Rights. The NYPL has long partnered with USCIS, not only to host ceremonies, but to provide immigration information and hold classes to help prepare naturalization applicants for the civics test required for citizenship.