Nearly 50 new US citizens sworn in at Massachusetts State House

BOSTON -- Forty-eight people were sworn in as citizens at the Massachusetts State House Friday morning in celebration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day.

"This is my dream and I worked a lot of time to get my citizenship," said Lorena Cruz, a new citizen originally from Guatemala. "I feel excited and very, very happy." 

While the ceremony was underway, about 50 migrants who arrived unexpectedly on Martha's Vineyard Wednesday were moved to a shelter at Joint Base Cape Cod.  

Executive director of Project Citizenship Dr. Mitra K. Shavarini said it was going to take the whole community to welcome and care for the migrants. But in the Hall of Flags at the State House, people from 29 different countries felt cared for.  

"[Citizenship] allows them to vote, it empowers them to get more involved in their community. They can pass citizenship to their minor children, it's really a transformative generational process," said Project Citizenship Program Manager McKenzie Bell.

The ceremony celebrated the conclusion of an immigrant's journey to citizenship and honored the commitment they showed along the way.

"They already love this country, they already feel a part and they want it to be official. They want that naturalization certificate so they can feel a part of this nation," said Bell.