Over the years, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would hold monthly naturalization ceremonies in Sacramento for hundreds of people at a time…at venues like The Crest Theatre and the Memorial Auditorium.
Sharon Rummery with USCIS says the ceremonies were always festive.
"They start with the singing of the national anthem and the calling of the nations from which all of the people come from and cheering and excitement and then everybody stands up and they take an oath of naturalization."
The federal court in Sacramento used to preside over the
ceremonies but relinquished responsibility to USCIS a year
ago.
Rummery says that's when the agency decided to hold small
daily oath ceremonies for new citizens.
"But after a year of doing that we feel like it's more
convenient for them, more memorable for them to do it this
way."
Big naturalization ceremonies resume Wednesday morning at 10
o'clock at the Sacramento Convention Center. More than 1,000 new
citizens from nearly 100 countries will be sworn in.