22 immigrants become US citizens in Annapolis ceremony

An American flag is refracted in raindrops on a window at a Fourth of July display of flags Tuesday, July 4, 2017, in Merriam, Kan. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

ANNAPOLIS — Twenty-two people from 16 countries have become U.S. citizens in a Fourth of July ceremony in Annapolis.

The Baltimore Sun reports Tuesday marked the 12th year Annapolis has held an Independence Day naturalization ceremony. Local residents wearing red, white and blue joined families and friends of the new citizens to watch as they took the Oath of Allegiance.

The new citizens came from countries including Kenya, Pakistan, Iran, Estonia and South Korea. They all went through a process that includes an application, completion of English and citizenship testing and interviews by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials.

According to USCIS, about 15,000 people were expected to become naturalized citizens in ceremonies across the country Tuesday.