NAMPA, Idaho — The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services organizes four naturalization ceremonies in Idaho every year, and 111 people from around the world became U.S. citizens during one of those ceremonies in Nampa on Monday.
People traveled from all over Idaho to officially gain citizenship and take part in the celebrations - some from as far as Moscow and the outskirts of Yellowstone.
The event included an oral oath and concluded with the new citizens walking across the stage during the ceremony.
It takes at least five years of lawfully living in the U.S. to apply for citizenship, but Griselda Lilley immigrated from Mexico 30 years ago and has been looking forward to this moment for decades.
She said the road to citizenship was challenging, but also very exciting and rewarding. Lilley is most excited about being able to vote in the upcoming elections, as it will be the first election cycle that she'll be able to take part in.
"Now that we're becoming American citizens, we're gonna be able to participate in the 2020 election and be able to cast our votes for the first time," Lilley said. "That is an absolutely exciting thing. It's something we've been waiting for - to be fully part of the political process."
The new citizens will now be able to vote, run for office, serve in the military, and petition to bring immediate relatives to the U.S.
The naturalization ceremony also allowed for legal name changes for those that wanted to do so.