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Thousands Sworn In As New US Citizens

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Dec 19, 2007 10:45 pm US/Eastern

Thousands Sworn In As New US Citizens

MIAMI BEACH (CBS4) ― More than 11 thousand South Florida residents are receiving a holiday gift this week that won't be returned-- the gift of citizenship.

A total of four separate naturalization ceremonies will take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The first ceremony took place Wednesday morning, with Governor Charlie Crist attending.

"If there is something I regret in life, is to have waited so long to become an American citizen," one woman told Crist as he held on to her.

Carlos Gonzalez, from Cuba, was overjoyed to finally get his official papers.  He may now join his wife of eight years as a U.S. citizen.

"I'm very proud of him.  I've been here my whole life and to me this is the best country because they give us a lot of opportunities that we don't have in our own countries," said Carlos's wife, Arasay Gonzalez.

The Oath of Allegiance was being administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Emilio T. Gonzalez.

Florida Governor Charlie Crist was the keynote speaker at Wednesday morning's ceremony. Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez will be the keynote speaker Wednesday afternoon. Thursday's keynote speakers include Miami Beach Mayor Matti Bower and Marco Rubio, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

Additional ceremonies will be held Thursday.

The USCIS welcomed more than 650,000 citizens during naturalization ceremonies across the United States in 2007.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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