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EmailHundreds Become U.S. Citizens in Minnesota's Largest Naturalization Ceremony
Hundreds of Minnesotans are celebrating their first day as U.S. citizens.
The largest naturalization ceremony in state history was Thursday. 1,509 immigrants from 100 countries became citizens at Minneapolis Convention Center.
According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), more than 690,000 immigrants became U.S. citizens during the 2011 fiscal year, 11,044 of them in Minnesota. USCIS Public Affairs Officer Tim Counts pointed out a steady rise in immigration to Minnesota over the last decade. In 2003, 6,226 immigrants were naturalized in Minnesota.
In Thursday's ceremony, the country of origin with the largest number of immigrants naturalized was Somalia, with 344 people becoming U.S. citizens. That is followed by Ethiopia with 141, Laos with 101, Liberia with 95, and Mexico with 84.
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