US immigration holds naturalisation ceremonies to honour Martin Luther King

Ceremonies to honour the late Dr. and civil rights leader to be held across the US.

The US immigration department is this year, for the first time, commemorating Martin Luther King by holding naturalisation ceremonies around the holiday marking the assassinated civil rights leader's birthday.

Ceremonies are being carried out in several locations around the US over the coming days, awarding people US citizenship which will allow immigrants and their dependents to live in the US permanently.

US immigration reform advocates have welcomed the decision by the immigration department to celebrate the life of King through awarding citizenship. They feel the ceremonies could raise awareness of the civil rights issues involved with immigration and may stimulate support for the cause.

Alejandro Mayorkas, the director of the US immigration and citizenship department said, "when we greet new citizens into the United States we speak of the open opportunities that our country presents to everyone around the world who qualifies for the benefits our agency administers.” He continued, "Martin Luther King helped define those hopes and opportunities for everyone."

Citizenship is currently awarded to some US visas holders who have been living and working in the US for a number of years. If US immigration reform takes place this year as hoped, millions of unregistered foreigners currently living in the US could also be given a path to citizenship.