USCIS Celebrates Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, Welcoming More Than 30,000 New U.S. Citizens

WASHINGTON— U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, observed on Sept. 17, with over 200 naturalization ceremonies across the country as part of this year’s Constitution Week from Sept. 15 to 22. More than 30,000 lawful permanent residents will become America’s newest U.S. citizens during this week. The annual commemoration honors both the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787, and an observance that began in 1940 as “I Am an American Day.” 

USCIS’ Constitution Week activities this year will feature a naturalization ceremony at the National Archives on Sept. 15. The National Archives in Washington, D.C. displays the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine C. Duke, and Acting USCIS Director James W. McCament will participate in this special event. 

“Celebrating Constitution Week with a naturalization ceremony in the hallowed halls where our nation’s founding document lives is a great honor,” said Acting USCIS Director McCament. “The Constitution plays a meaningful role in the lives of all Americans, but particularly for those who are Americans by choice. The Constitution not only establishes the rule of law, it also creates the framework for the system that exists today, empowering immigrants to become citizens.”

In partnership with USCIS, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts is also holding special judicial naturalization ceremonies nationwide to celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. Federal judges are presiding at naturalization ceremonies scheduled at courthouses and landmarks, including the U.S. National Arboretum, James A. Garfield National Historic Site and Yosemite National Park.

Many ceremonies will also feature President Trump’s new welcome video to newly naturalized citizens.

View a list of 2017 Constitution Week naturalization ceremonies. We encourage new U.S. citizens and their families and friends to share their experiences and photos from naturalization ceremonies on social media using the hashtag #newUScitizen.  

USCIS is committed to promoting awareness and understanding of citizenship. We offer many free naturalization preparation resources for citizenship applicants and teachers, including study materials for the English test and civics test, on our Citizenship Resource Center. Immigrant-serving organizations can register to receive a free Civics and Citizenship Toolkit to help permanent residents prepare for naturalization. 

Additionally, just this summer, USCIS launched its first mobile app, USCIS: Civics Test Study Tools, which is available in the Google Play and iTunes stores. This free app – the only official USCIS civics test application – includes old tests for review, has a game to challenge your civics knowledge and lists answers to all 100 possible questions.

Also, to help applicants prepare for the civics test, USCIS has 100 short videos on YouTube – one video for each possible civics question that prospective citizens may be asked, including questions about the Constitution. Subtitles are available in Spanish, Chinese (traditional), Vietnamese, Korean, and Tagalog. 

For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), Instagram (/uscis), YouTube (/uscis), and Facebook (/uscis).   

- USCIS -