Special Naturalization Ceremony Held In Honor Of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Immigrants from 31 different countries took the Oath of Allegiance in University City Friday morning, officially beginning their new life as U.S. Citizens.
The naturalization ceremony was planned to coincide with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday.
The ceremony took time to point to Dr. King's work to ensure every U.S. citizen an equal right to pursue their dream, and that's exactly what Johnson Benoit, formerly of Haiti, plans to do.
"When you become a citizen there is more doors open for you to become whatever you want to or achieve whatever you want. Nothing can stop you now."
A statement backed up by keynote speaker Kelvin Jeremiah, who is the CEO of the Philadelphia Housing Authority and immigrated here from Grenada.
With President-elect Trump campaigning for stricter immigration laws and enforcement, Jeremiah notes that it's important to keep the doors open.
"The American experience is enhanced by immigrants. And I don't think we want to close that out. I think we want to encourage it, and provide a legal pathway to citizenship."