97 immigrants become U.S. citizens

LAS CRUCES (AP) - Nearly 100 people from 12 counties became U.S. citizens in Las Cruces on Friday morning.

Accompanied by family and friends, the 97 immigrants took the oath of allegiance to the U.S. before District Judge Robert Brack.

They came from Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iran and Germany, among others.

Forty-year-old Lydia Lopez, a school health instructor in Anthony, N.M., says she tried to make things work back in Mexico, but that the violence was too extreme.

Lopez was born and raised in the Mexican state of Chihuahua before coming to Las Cruces and getting a bachelor's degree at New Mexico State University.

With her immigration papers in hand, Lopez's two high school-aged daughters watched as she took the oath.

Lopez says now that she's a U.S. citizen, she feels safe.

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Information from: the Las Cruces Sun-News