09/17/2008 USCIS Welcomes More Than 39,000 New Citizens during Constitution Week and Citizenship Day

[Immigration Office]

USCIS Welcomes More Than 39,000 New Citizens during Constitution Week and Citizenship Day


WASHINGTON – More than 39,000 individuals will become new citizens of the United States this week during special ceremonies hosted by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to recognize Constitution Week. Naturalization ceremonies held September 17 through September 23 commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.
“This week allows us to focus on the responsibilities of citizenship and the importance of our Constitution,” said USCIS Acting Director Jonathan “Jock” Scharfen. “USCIS will hold more than 177 naturalization ceremonies this week to welcome the many men and women who immigrated to America to become U.S. citizens.”
Citizenship Day and Constitution Week were first designated in the 1950s. In 1952, President Harry Truman issued a proclamation designating September 17 as Citizenship Day. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s proclamation called for observance of Constitution Week, September 17 through September 23.
Naturalization ceremonies are scheduled for Citizenship Day, September 17 for as few as 20 citizenship applicants in St. Albans, Vermont, to as many as 3,000 applicants at Fenway Park in Boston. Several other naturalization ceremonies planned on Citizenship Day include:

Tucson (Arizona) Convention Center Arena
Golden Hall, San Diego, California
Campbell Heritage Theater, Campbell, Ca (Near San Jose)
Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Florida
Federal Hall, New York City
Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Oregon
Brownsville (Texas) Federal Court
Ft Lewis Army Base, Seattle, Washington