DES MOINES, Iowa — Receiving your citizenship certificate is anything but spooky, but a group of 50 kids channeled the spirit of Halloween during their citizenship ceremony Thursday morning.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office in Des Moines held two ceremonies Thursday, at which 50 young people, ages 4-13, received their citizenship certificates.
Many of the kids, as well as the officers conducting the ceremony, came in costume.
"Becoming a citizen, the good part about it is people don't have to see the differences in people," said Hala Tam, who received her citizenship Thursday after her family came to the U.S. from Syria. "All people are the same."
Eliana Perdomonora, originally from Venezuela, also shared her excitement, saying, "I'm very glad to be here."
The ceremony recognized children who already obtained U.S. citizenship through their parents, who immigrated to the United States and became naturalized citizens.
Between the 50 children, 18 different countries were represented at the ceremony, including Afghanistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Togo and Vietnam.