Amid the swirling national debate about immigration, more than 200 lawful permanent residents become citizens at a naturalization ceremony in Midtown. NY1's Natalie Duddridge filed the following report.
Waving the flag of the country they can now call their own, more than 200 immigrants became U.S. citizens at a naturalization ceremony in the main branch of the New York Public Library.
"It's really good. I feel really good," said Nafisa Sulcala, an immigrant from Bangladesh. "It's so awesome, great."
Sulcala is one of 202 people from 59 countries who took the Oath of Allegiance. As one of America's newest citizens, she says she's excited about her rights, including the opportunity to petition for family members to join her here in the U.S.
"Yes, yes, I really want to get my family here. I can apply for them. So let's see if that's going to happen," Sulcala said.
As official Americans, they also now have the right to a U.S. passport.
"The liberty and freedom to travel worldwide, that's what I've always wanted," said Maximo Herera, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic.
And what many of these new citizens are most excited about is being granted the right to vote.
"Most important is, I can vote. I can run for office," said Anne Meanmou, an immigrant from Cameroon.
One of these newly minted Americans is from Yemen, one of the six countries affected by President Donald Trump's partial travel ban that took effect Thursday night. That individual did not wish to be identified, and the focus throughout the ceremony was on the positive contributions of immigrants, not on the president's vow to crack down on those here illegally.
"We stand here today in a room that was donated by Andrew Carnegie, who was an immigrant," said Daniel Renaud of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "Immigrants have been an important part of our history and will continue to be so."
"I think all of us are important," said one person at the ceremony. "Whether you were born up here, came from another country, everybody has something to bring to the country."
About 86,000 naturalizations take place every year in greater New York. This is one of many ceremonies around the country coinciding with Independence Day.