PEORIA, Ill. – Cheers filled the room at the Peoria Public Library Friday as 180 people became U.S. citizens.
Throughout the day, two naturalization ceremonies were held. Men and women from around 60 countries came to take the oath to become U.S. citizens.
To start the process of U.S. citizenship, the person may go through a U.S. citizen family member, employer, or asylum process to help them through their journey.
On the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website, it may take around a year for an immigrant to become a U.S. citizen, depending on the person.
It also requires a 10-step process. The requirements involve a person being at least 18 years old and having been a permanent resident in the U.S. for five years.
Shig Yasunaga, Clerk of Court for the Central District of Illinois, told 25 News this is a significant journey.
“The court is the last step for these individuals to become United States citizens. Most of them had a very long road to get here, and today that’s what our function is to provide for them to take an oath of allegiance to become United States citizens,” he said.
Marco Sanchez became a U.S. Citizen on Friday. He came to the United States from Mexico in the 1990s and hopes this accomplishment serves as a way to help those who may now fear ICE raids.
”I hope I can help the community, that’s all I can do. That’s all I can hope for,” he said.
Within the last year, more than 800,00 people have become citizens in the United States.
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