Washington (CNN) Former President George W. Bush appeared at a naturalization ceremony Monday where he praised the nation's immigrant history and called on lawmakers to deliver comprehensive immigration reform.

"America's elected representatives have a duty to regulate who comes in and when," Bush said at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, where dozens took the oath of allegiance to become citizens. "In meeting this responsibility, it helps to remember that America's immigrant history made us who we are. Amid all the complications of policy, may we never forget that immigration is a blessing and a strength."

Bush was joined by his wife, former first lady Laura Bush, who also delivered remarks before the ceremony and noted the deep immigrant community in Texas.

"We're a much richer state for all the cultures that have settled on our land," the former first lady said.

The former president echoed the sentiment, telling those at the ceremony that in addition to becoming US citizens, they would leave the room officially Texans.

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