Thirty-two applicants from 17 countries prepare to take the Oath of Allegiance and become naturalized citizens of the United States during an Aug. 8 ceremony at the Jennings Randolph Federal Building in Elkins. (Photo by Taylor McKinnie, Special to the News and Sentinel)

ELKINS — Thirty-two individuals from 17 countries became new United States citizens during the annual Naturalization Ceremony in Elkins.

The ceremony, which took place Aug. 8 at the Jennings Randolph Federal Building, saw 32 applicants take the Oath of Allegiance and officially become American citizens. Friends, family and members of the community filled the courtroom for the event.

The ceremony was presided over by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Aloi, the grandchild of an Italian immigrant himself, as he told the new citizens.

“The Oath (of Allegiance) is to the Constitution of the United States of America. The rule of law,” Aloi said. “It is not to me as a judge, it is not to a senator, it’s not to a president, it’s not to a governor. It is to the Constitution of the United States of America, and this is important. This is what makes us who we are. That’s what we take the Oath to, no individual.”

The new citizens hailed from Belarus, Canada, China, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, South Korea, Mexico, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Uruguay.

United States Magistrate Judge Michael Aloi, left, stands with a new U.S. citizen and her two children after she received her certificate of naturalization. (Photo by Taylor McKinnie, Special to the News and Sentinel)

The new citizens were shown a video presentation from President Donald Trump, welcoming them.

“It’s with great pride and wisdom, in so many different ways because you have such great wisdom, that I welcome you into our national family,” Trump said in the prerecorded statement. “No matter where you come from, you now share a home and a heritage with some of the most exceptional heroes … to ever walk the face of the earth. All of the triumphs and glories of American history now belong to you. You have it in your being. You have it like no one has had it before.”

The new citizens also received a special pin from the Tucker, Upshur, Barbour, Randolph and Lewis counties’ chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

U.S. Sens. Jim Justice and Shelley Moore Capito and Rep. Riley Moore sent remarks through their representatives, each welcoming the new citizens and congratulating them for their determination and effort.

“You have chosen to be American, not by birth, but by choice,” Randall Reid-Smith, field representative to Justice, read in a letter from the senator. “In doing so, you have studied our history and committed yourself to the founding principles that have shaped our nation for the past 250 years: liberty, opportunity and the rule of law. That is no small task, and you should be deeply proud of all you have accomplished to get here.”

The new citizens also watched a special presentation from U.S. 4th Circuit Executive James Ishida, who shared his family’s history of immigration from Japan to Hawaii, hardship during the era of Japanese internment in World War II and military service in the United States armed forces.

“It’s the story of sacrifice. It’s a story of hard work. It’s a story of dreams of a better life and a better future, for yourself and for your families,” Ishida said. “So by telling my family’s story, I wanted to celebrate your families’ story, and to recognize your accomplishment, your hard work, your sacrifice and your dreams of a better future.”