These immigrants became the country's newest citizens on July 4th

Luis Freile arrived in the United States from Ecuador at age 5 with his family, escaping the financial meltdown in that country that led Freile's parents, who worked in banks, to seek better opportunities.

After 18 years in the country, Freile became a U.S. citizen at a naturalization service that was part of an Independence Day celebration outside the State Capitol on Wednesday.

As Freile stood with his right hand raised to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States, he was surrounded by people from other countries making the same promise of loyalty. A man from Germany stood at Freile's left, a Russian woman stood in front, and a Canadian woman was behind him.

In all, 27 people from 17 countries became citizens in the Raleigh ceremony. Marcos Castells, a supervisory immigration services officer for the Raleigh/Durham Citizenship and Immigration field office, said he had worked in bigger offices in Dallas and Miami, but the Triangle has "one of the most diverse immigrant population I've ever worked with."

More than a dozen of Freile's family and friends sat close by for the ceremony. This is a big summer for the family. Freile's mother, Ines, and one of his sisters are to become citizens in August, and his father, Felipe, took the oath last week.

Felipe Freile, who lives in Apex, said he came to the United States "for the kids, for the freedom." His older daughter, Ana, graduated from Meredith College. His younger daughter, Cynthia, was born in the U.S.

"When you have a good mind and a good vision for the future, the door is open for everybody," Felipe Freile said.

Luis Freile said he grew up "the American way" in Wake County," but with his parents reminding him of Ecuadorian traditions. Freile, 23, graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and is studying physical therapy at Duke University.

"It's such an honor and such a privilege to be part of such a great country," he said. "Living here for the last 18 years, I can say that I'm truly excited to be able to vote and to do all the duties of a true American citizen. If I need to serve in the Army for any reason, I'm ready to go."

The oath is heavy on supporting the country in war, whether as a member of the Armed Forces or as a civilian.

The ceremony was drenched in patriotic songs and included a reading from the Declaration of Independence. The Daughters of the American Revolution handed out free flags to a crowd of onlookers. A food truck selling hot dogs parked just out of sight.

It takes years to become a citizen, Luis Freile said, though he was spared a lot of the frustration because his parents scheduled his appointments and told him what he had to do.

"We were always very lucky," he said. "We always did things the right way. But when you do things the right way, you get a great result."

Hundreds of thousands of people from other countries will become U.S. citizens this year at a time when immigration is at the center of political debate. Thousands of families seeking to migrate are being detained at the southern border, and President Donald Trump wants to curb legal immigration.

Freile said people need more facts about immigration. Many people don't understand how long it takes to become a permanent resident and a citizen, he said.

"When you think of immigration, you have to be more informed about who's coming to America and how they're getting here," he said.

Freile's family huddled around him after the ceremony, taking photographs and checking his naturalization certificate.

Later, he planned to celebrate with friends from school.

"As soon as I walk in, we're probably going to sing the National Anthem," he said. "That's what you gotta do today."

This story was originally published July 4, 2018 at 5:03 PM with the headline "These immigrants became the country's newest citizens on July 4th."