MACON, Ga. — Twenty-two people from over 15 different countries were in Macon to become citizens of the United States. They walked into the Augustus Bootle Federal Courthouse as immigrants and walked out as U.S. citizens.
The U.S. District Court for the Middle Georgia District of Georgia held a naturalization ceremony on Wednesday.
Maribel Whitlok is originally from the Philippines but now lives in Rutledge.
"I am so happy," Whitlok said. "Finally I am a U.S. citizen now."
At their naturalization ceremony, they took the oath and pledge of allegiance and received their citizenship certificates.
People from over 15 countries were represented at the ceremony, including South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, India, Mexico and more.
Many citizens say they are speechless and filled with joy, and this is the next step to fulfilling their American dream.
Marc Treadwell is the chief judge of the Middle District of Georgia and swore in these 22 new U.S citizens today.
"They all spend months and sometimes years going through the process they have to go through to become citizens," Treadwell said. "We hear a lot about immigration and things that go wrong but this is what happens every day and what happened in court today was an example of how it goes right."
Whitlok says it took her 10 years to become a U.S. citizen.
"It was a lot of pressure," Whitlok said. "I had to study and perform my interview so thank God I passed it and now I'm here for my oath ceremony."
Sebastian Gonzales is from Mexico and says it also took him ten years to become a U.S. citizen after moving here.
"I came in to do my oath ceremony so I can finish the process on my citizenship so I became officially a citizen of America," Gonzales said.
He started his application in March of 2023, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic backlogged his process of receiving his citizenship.
He had to drive to South Carolina for his interview because Atlanta was full, but the wait was worth it.
"It's really important because it gives you more security," Gonzales said. "You get the feeling of just being able to kind of be a little more free itself than having to be watching on certain stuff or having to always feel like you're just kind of visiting."
Linda Myrck is from Brazil and says after learning about the history of the United States, she developed more passion for the country.
"I work in America now and I support my daughters living in Brazil, and I am also happy I can do this because I am here," Myrck said.
She said the testing and interviews were a lot, but learning about the culture along the way and getting support from friends and family helped speed up the process.
"I developed a love for the language of America," Myrck said. "Everybody helped me and said go you can do it. I am so proud because I never expected to do this and get so emotional but I am here."
For more information on how to become a United States citizen, you can go to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services website at www.USCIS.gov.