Nearly 180 new United States citizens naturalized in Peoria ceremony
PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — The United States gained around 180 new citizens on Friday through a ceremony across the street from the Federal courthouse at the downtown Peoria public library.
In the auditorium situated in the lower level of the library, there sat around 90 people from Mexico, the Philippines, India and 30 other countries eagerly waiting to finally call themselves citizens.
Marco Sanchez moved to the United States from Mexico in 1996, but the choice to become a citizen nearly 30 years later was simply a calling he felt.
'Your voice really counts,' Sanchez said. 'Especially for voting… It's time to help out, and maybe we can help with the future of the country.'
Rosevita Muiruri moved to the U.S. in 2013 from Kenya, and to walk the stage after all of the hard work it took to get here, it's a proud moment for her.
'It was quite difficult. That's what I would say. But now and it's been a journey, quite a long journey, and now this is the end. This means I got it,' Muiruri said, waving a small American flag.
Health care leaders featured at Eggs and Issues event
In the back of the room, the families of those waiting to cross the stage sat, some with tears in their eyes.
The mid-morning ceremony began with a loud hammering of the gavel from court clerk Shig Yasunaga.
Yasunaga opened the ceremony by introducing the presiding Judge, the Honorable Ronald L. Hanna.
A representative from the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration Services officer Samantha Brewer granted the motion to move forward and approve citizenship for everyone present.
After this, everyone in the room stood up, placed their right hand over their heart and said the Pledge of Allegiance in unison.
Judge Hanna introduced the guests to his right, took off his glasses and gazed upon the 90 soon-to-be citizens with honor.
He gave a brief speech about what it means to be an American. He talked about the long, arduous process that a lot of these people endured to get to where they were.
After his speech, Hannah had the representatives from each country stand until all 89 total people from 33 countries were standing, as one.
With all 89 people standing side by side with American flags in hand, Judge Hanna asked them to raise their right hand, and repeat the oath of allegiance.
Another ceremony was held in the afternoon, which brought the total of new citizens naturalized in Peoria today to nearly 180.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former House speaker, husband killed in politically motivated shooting, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz confirms that former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed Saturday in a politically motivated shooting. A second legislator was wounded on Saturday in attacks. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows below. CHAMPLIN, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota mayor says two state lawmakers were shot in their homes early Saturday. Mayor Ryan Sabas of Champlin said state senator John Hoffman and state representative Melissa Hortman were shot, and that Hoffman's wife was also shot. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that investigators believe that the suspect may have been posing as a law enforcement officer. The person said investigators were still working to establish motive for the attacks and were still in the early stages of an investigation. Gov. Tim Walz said the shooting was targeted. Hoffman, a Democrat, was first elected in 2012. He runs Hoffman Strategic Advisors, a consulting firm. He previously served as vice chair of the Anoka Hennepin School Board, which manages the largest school district in Minnesota. Hoffman is married and has one daughter. Hortman is the top House Democratic leader in the state Legislature and a former House speaker. She was first elected in 2004. Hortman, a lawyer, is married and has two children. Both Hoffman and Hortman represent districts located north of Minneapolis. The shootings happened at a time when political leaders nationwide have been attacked, harassed and intimidated during a time of deep political divisions. GIFFORDS, the national gun violence prevention organization led by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, released the following statement. 'I am horrified and heartbroken by last night's attack on two patriotic public servants,' Giffords said. 'My family and I know the horror of a targeted shooting all too well. An attack against lawmakers is an attack on American democracy itself. Leaders must speak out and condemn the fomenting violent extremism that threatens everything this country stands for.' Giffords was shot in the head in 2011 by a gunman who killed six people and injured 12 others. She stepped down from Congress in January 2012 to focus on her recovery. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Is today Flag Day? Here's flag etiquette and how to display your American flag on June 14
It's Flag Day, a day that honors the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777. The original resolution declared the flag would have 13 alternating red and white stripes and a blue field with 13 white stars, representing a new constellation — a powerful symbol of unity and independence that continues to fly proudly today. The flag's stripes represent the original 13 colonies, while the stars symbolize the unity of those states forming a new nation. Over nearly 250 years, the flag has come to embody American ideals such as freedom, resilience and patriotism. This year, Flag Day coincides with the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, marked by a large military parade in Washington, D.C., led by President Donald Trump, whose birthday is also on June 14. At the same time, thousands across the country are participating in 'No Kings' demonstrations, a grassroots movement that reclaims the flag as a symbol of resistance against authoritarianism. Event organizers say these protests emphasize the flag's meaning as a banner for freedom and democracy, rather than power and control. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate Flag Day, it's important to honor the flag with proper etiquette. More than 100 years after the Continental Congress approved the flag, Flag Day was first observed in 1877. President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 Flag Day in May 1916, while President Harry Truman established Flag Day as a national holiday in 1949. Since Wilson declared the day, Americans have honored the stars and stripes in a number of ways, including carrying the flag in parades, displaying it outside homes and holding other patriotic events. The American flag should always be treated with respect — never allowed to touch the ground, flown only from sunrise to sunset (unless properly illuminated at night), and never used as clothing or decoration in a way that might damage or disrespect it. Proper folding, displaying and handling reflect the deep reverence many hold for this enduring symbol of the nation. Except in situations when there is imminent danger to life or property, the American flag should not be flown with the union down, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. These are the primary rules: A flag should never touch the ground. No other flag may be flown above or to the right of the U.S. flag, except at United Nations headquarters. Citizens may fly the flag at any time, but preferably from sunrise to sunset − except for special occasions or when well lit at night. When a flag becomes unfit to fly, it should be destroyed with dignity. A traditional triangular method is used to fold the American flag. According to the American Legion, the origins of the triangular fold are unknown, but some sources attribute it to the Gold Star Mothers of America, or a chaplain stationed at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Here's how its done: The Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. Johnson (1989) and later United States v. Eichman (1990) that flag burning, as a form of political protest, is a constitutionally protected act. While it is not illegal to burn the flag in protest, it is deeply offensive to many and can upset others. When the American flag is flown upside down — that is, with the union (the blue field with stars) at the bottom instead of the top — it is traditionally recognized as a signal of distress. According to U.S. flag code and longstanding custom, flying the flag upside down indicates that the person, group or location displaying it is in serious trouble, or facing an emergency and in need of immediate help. However, some people also use the upside-down flag as a form of protest to express distress or dissatisfaction with the government or current events. It is legal to fly the Mexican flag or other foreign flags on private property in the United States. However, the U.S. flag should always be flown higher than any foreign flag or, if on separate flagpoles, the U.S. flag's pole should be taller. Contributing: Janet Loehrke, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Flag Day 2025: What's the proper way to display your American flag?
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The world won't acknowledge it yet, but we owe Israel a debt of gratitude
'I swear I believe Armageddon is near.' This was Ronald Reagan's initial reaction, writing in his diary, after hearing news of the Israeli attack on the Iraqi nuclear reactor at Osirak on June 7 1981. The Israeli attack was a major operational success, destroying Osirak and denying Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein a nuclear bomb. In time, American leaders would come to recognise that they owed Israel a huge debt of gratitude for disarming Iraq's monstrous tyrant. Yet this is not how they reacted publicly at the time. For the deeply religious Reagan, with his profound aversion to nuclear weapons, his initial reaction was a mix of horror and confusion. As the historian William Inboden put it in The Peacemaker, his recent book on the US president's national security strategy, 'Reagan worried that his first year in office might also be the last year of Earth's existence.' President Donald Trump may not share Reagan's religious faith but he has spoken repeatedly over many years of his fear of nuclear war. This is likely to colour his response to the Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. Like the Reagan White House, the Trump's administration's avowed policy positions should, on the surface, lead it to endorse the strikes – support for Israel, opposition to nuclear proliferation and disgust at the target, in both cases a tyrannical regime that has committed itself to Israel's destruction and unleashed bloodshed across the region. Yet other diplomatic considerations led the Reagan administration to publicly disassociate itself from Israel. The White House denounced the attack. At the United Nations, Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick allowed a Security Council Resolution condemning Israel to pass without issuing a US veto. And initially the US suspended any further sales of F-16s to positions derived from a number of conflicting policy priorities. First, there was concern about the reaction of America's Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia. Secondly, there was a growing sense in the White House that the US should support Saddam's Iraq in its war with Iran, which had begun the previous year. Thirdly, there was concern about the potential for wider regional escalation, particularly in Lebanon. That war-torn country, occupied by Syria, had served as the base for regular Palestinian guerilla attacks on Israel and was now hosting Syrian SA-6 missiles. Israel was determined to remove this threat but the Reagan administration wanted to negotiate a settlement. Fourthly, and overhanging all of this, was the wider fear that America's Cold War antagonist the Soviet Union might exploit the regional there were other officials in the administration who recognised that what Israel had done at Osirak was necessary, not only for its own security but that of the US too. And while Reagan reprimanded the Israeli ambassador that the US was 'caught by surprise,' he would very quickly begin to empathise with the Israelis. 'Indignation on behalf of Iraq is a waste,' he wrote in his diary. 'Saddam Hussein is a 'no good nut' and I think he was trying to build a nuclear weapon.' What's more, he had 'called for the destruction of Israel' and the threat thus had to be removed. After reflection, Reagan resumed sending F-16s to like Reagan, President Trump has distanced his administration from the Israeli strikes, although he has not yet gone so far as to issue any condemnation. Like Reagan, Trump had hoped to solve broader regional issues by negotiations rather than strikes. Yet there are important differences with 1981. Firstly, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has made it clear that Israel had informed the US ahead of time that 'this action was necessary for its self-defence.' Secondly, many of America's Arab allies, particularly Saudi Arabia, have long feared what Iran's theocratic Shiite rulers will do with a nuclear weapon. They are less likely than they were in 1981 to be condemning Israel's attack on Iran behind closed doors, whatever they say publicly. Thirdly, Iran has moved well beyond Saddam's rhetorical denunciation and support for terrorist attacks. Since October 7th 2023, they and their proxies have unleashed a broad, multi-front attack on Israel with its by escalating its conflict with Israel, Iran has also left itself weaker, with its proxies devastated and its own air defences largely demolished by Israel last year. The Iranian nuclear weapons programme might be more sophisticated and spread out than the Iraqi one at Osirak. But Iran is also more isolated in the region. Even more so than with Saddam in 1981, the moment of maximum danger has already approached for Israel. While intelligence then suggested Osirak would become operational within months, the Iranians are currently enriching uranium to such levels that they are already a threshold nuclear state that could step over that precipice in as in 1981, much of the region and the wider world will condemn Israel's actions. But just as then, I suspect in time, the vast majority will come to be exceedingly grateful for what they have done. Iranian drones are already enabling Russia to pound Ukrainian cities, while the Islamic Republic's agents are targeting dissidents in the West, interfering in our elections, and unleashing violence on our streets. A nuclear weapon in the hands of Ayatollah Khamenei would have been as dangerous, if not worse, than one in the hands of Saddam remains to be seen if the Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities prove as successful as their previous attack on Osirak. If it does then Western governments should be grateful to Israel. Just don't expect to hear much thanks. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
