109 immigrants to be naturalized in Friday ceremony in Belleville

BELLEVILLE – Some 109 immigrants will participate in a naturalization ceremoney to be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, at the Belleville Town Square as part of the city’s bicentennial festivities.

The event is to be hosted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, one of three federal judicial districts in Illinois, comprised of the 38 southernmost counties.

Although the ceremony is an official court proceeding, the court can hold naturalization ceremonies at various locations in the communities it serves.

The event will give the public a chance to witness the naturalization process first-hand and learn more about how immigrants become citizens.

The 109 candidates will be presented to the court on behalf of the Department of Justice by U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton.