Fifty people, most of them active-duty military, became citizens Wednesday in a naturalization ceremony aboard the USS Midway in San Diego harbor.
The ceremony was one of 175 being held across the country between June 28 and July 10 by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to welcome more than 14,000 new citizens.
“This day will have new meaning for you,” said Rear Adm. Yancy Lindsey, commander of Navy Region Southwest, during the ceremony. “It will be your Independence Day, your day to celebrate, along with your fellow citizens, this place we call home.”
“Welcome to America brothers and sisters,” said one comment on the USCIS Facebook page.
The new citizens were originally from 20 different countries, according to USCIS. The largest group, at 13, was from Mexico. Seven were from the Philippines, and five were from Jamaica.
Another retired Navy aircraft carrier, the USS Hornet docked in San Francisco Bay, was also the location of a naturalization ceremony on Wednesday.
