Second-time ceremony held at cultural celebration

DES MOINES, IOWA (Septembe 19, 2019) — US District Magistrate Judge Ross Walters, US District Court, Southern District of Iowa, will preside, while the Deputy Clerk of Court will administer the Oath of Allegiance to America’s newest citizens during a special naturalization ceremony at Des Moines’ World Food and Music Festival at Pappajohn Education Center, 1200 Grand Avenue. The ceremony is scheduled on September 20 at 11AM. This ceremony is one of  over 316 ceremonies that will welcome more than 34,300 new citizens at Constitution Day and Citizenship Day ceremonies across the nation between September 13 and 23.

The 150 citizenship candidates originate from the following 36 countries: Bhutan, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Brazil, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Canada, China, Congo, Costa Rico, Ecuador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Iraq, Kenya, Laos, Liberia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Philippines, Russia, Slovenia, Somalia, South Korea, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

On September 17, the nation observes Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, as part of Constitution Week, September 17 to 23 this year. The commemoration honors both the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.” Citizenship Day began in 1952, based on a law signed by President Harry Truman, and in 1955, President Dwight Eisenhower proclaimed the first Constitution Week. For a complete list of Constitution week ceremonies visit uscis.gov.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) encourages new US citizens and their families and friends to share their naturalization photos on social media using the hashtags #newUScitizen, #ConstitutionWeek and #WethePeople.

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