At a swearing-in ceremony in Federal Court in Kansas City on Thursday, 57 immigrants became American citizens.
The new citizens are from 25 different countries including Mexico, Vietnam, Cuba, Sudan and Iran.
Adriana Ortiz Mejia is one of the new U.S. citizens. She was born in Mexico and her parents brought her to the United States when she was 3 years old. In the process of becoming a legal citizen, Adriana had to return to Mexico. She was allowed to return to the U.S. after 8 months. After completing all the paperwork and tests, she's glad she completed the process.
"It feels amazing," said Adriana.
"I definitely feel for the people that are not able to do that or that come to this country wanting a better life and can't stay. Or running away from the stuff that goes on in their own country so it's definitely a relief for me and for my family," Adriana explained.
The new American citizen hopes that immigration laws in the U.S. will be clarified to make it easier to become a U.S. citizen so people in this country illegally, won't have to live in fear that they will be kicked out of the U.S.
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Cynthia Newsome can be reached at Cynthia.Newsome@kshb.com.
