RELATED: 85 take oath of citizenship at Miami University Hamilton
Over the decade of 2005-15, the number of naturalized immigrants in the United States increased from 14.4 million to 19.8 million.
Nearly half of those nearly 20 million naturalized immigrants in 2015 made up 44 percent the country’s foreign-born population, according to Pew.
The increase in naturalization rates was led by immigrants from India and Ecuador. Those countries saw a 12 percent increase from 2005 to 2015. Peru and Haiti saw a 9 percent increase and Vietnam, the Dominican Republican, Poland and Jamaica each saw a 7 percent increase.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump denied, but also defended, disparaging remarks he made about Haiti and African countries.
RELATED: Trump partly denies, also defends vulgar immigrant comments
Miami University Regionals' Hamilton campus has hosted an outdoor naturalization ceremony for the past three years where 243 people have taken their oaths of citizenship.
This past September, 85 people from 43 countries became U.S. citizens, including Russian-born Alexey Chvalyuk, who waited 10 years and eight days to be a citizen, the Journal-News reported.
“It’s been a dream of mine a long time ago … since I was 18,” the owner of Rus Roofing in West Chester Twp. told the Journal-News in September.
Miami University President Greg Crawford told the new citizens last year, and in 2016, that America “is better because you have chosen to become part of us.” Crawford’s wife, Renate, is a naturalized citizen from the Netherlands.
To be eligible for U.S. citizenship, immigrants, among other requirements, must be 18 or older, have lived in the U.S. for at least five years as lawful permanent residents — or three years for those married to a U.S. citizen — and be in good standing with the law.
Some wonder if these numbers will be impacted by the so-called travel ban instituted by President Donald Trump, portions of which were reinstated by the U.S. Supreme Court this past June.
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