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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD)- This year marks the 245th birthday of the United States of America and while fireworks and barbecues are in order, more than 9,000 people will also celebrate US citizenship in naturalization ceremonies all over the nation.

Every July 4th the United States celebrates independence from Britain, to commemorate this special occasion the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services hosts Independence Day-themed naturalization ceremonies across the country.

“We are committed to promoting policies and procedures that ensure we operate fairly and efficiently, and continue to encourage and embrace the full participation of the newest Americans in our democracy,” said acting USCIS Director Tracy Renaud. 

This year 170 naturalization ceremonies will take place between June 30th and July 7th.

The USCIS encourages new citizens to share their stories and photos on social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.