25 take oath, become US citizens in ceremony at State Capitol

At the North Carolina State Capitol and surrounded by in red, white and blue, the 25 people from 17 different countries took part in the ceremony.

"I'm really happy. I am happy I came," said Cesar Cisineros Cifuntes.

Cisineros Cifuntes is from Mexico, but has lived in Durham for years. He works construction, and wants to continue to build a life in this country. He said he wants to work as a mechanic.

"The work ethic here. That you can actually do something," he said, is why he wanted to become a citizen.

Martina Salge, a UNC graduate who was born in Germany, said she wanted a voice in this country's future.

"I wanted the right to vote, that was very important to me. That led me to become a citizen," she said.

Carsten Fuchs, also from German, now lives in Clayton. He said the ceremony meant securing his future, to make sure he could not be separated from his family.

"With all the immigration reform and stuff, it was just time to get off the green card and just become a citizen so there are no questions asked or nothing could happen where you could get deported," he said.