Immigrants become US citzens in Southport

Nearly 100 people living in eastern North Carolina can now call themselves US citizens.

“I’m very proud right now that I will become a United States citizen,” said Dennis Sarsozo.

At Wednesday’s naturalization ceremony in Southport, 98 people became US citizens.

For Rafael Torres and many others, citizenship has been a long time coming. “This is the end of the process today, after basically 1999 when I arrived in North Carolina.”

Along with the waiting period, these immigrants had to take several steps, in order to become US citizens.

Jeffery Sapko of US Citizenship Services said, “We review their applications, do their background checks, the person needs to show that they can speak, read, and understand English, pass a test on civics, and make sure they are not any threat to the rest of the country.”

For those attending the naturalization in Southport, the benefits of citizenship far outweigh the long wait and extensive process.

According to immigration experts, each year more than one million immigrants become full US citizens. In eastern North Carolina alone, around 6,000 people are naturalized every year.