HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – As the national debate over immigration reform rages on, a group of newcomers will savor what too many of us take somewhat for granted.
Several dozen people from throughout the region will converge at Herrick District Library on Thursday morning to be sworn in as naturalized US citizens. It’s the culmination of several years and several thousand dollars worth of effort to get through the lengthy process, according to Ottawa County Clerk Justin Roebuck, who will be on hand to provide voter registration and passport services to the newest Americans.
“It’s pretty moving when you’re in the room with all these people,” he said during a Wednesday appearance on “WHTC Talk of the Town.” “They have a lot of stories of struggle, a lot of really cool stories behind each and every one of those new citizens, and it’s hard not to get emotional in those settings.”
The first of two swearing-in ceremonies is set for 10 AM in the main auditorium of the library off of River Avenue, and it is open to the public. There will be another such set of ceremonies at Grand Haven’s Loutit District Library on Friday, and both facilities will host another round of similar events on September 19th in Holland and November 26th in Grand Haven.
