ANAHEIM – Holding a small American flag in her hand, El Monte resident Mireya Velazquez stood with hundreds of others at the City National Grove of Anaheim, raised her right hand and repeated federal Judge Catherine Bauer’s words.

“I hereby declare, on oath,” Velazquez said in unison with the other soon-to-be U.S. citizens, “that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen.”

Taking the oath of allegiance during the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ naturalization ceremony, held about twice a year in Orange County, was different than what Velazquez, 40, had imagined.

“It was more meaningful,” the Mexico native said, “because they remind you how great is this country.”

Velazquez was among more than 1,700 lawful permanent residents who met all the requirements and were naturalized on Thursday, June 22. In all, they represented 90 countries, with the highest number from Mexico, Vietnam and the Philippines, respectively.

“Citizenship in this country is a wonderful privilege,” Bauer said. “Accordingly, we thank you for the tribute you pay us in joining your lives to ours, for the contributions your presence makes to our society.”

Over the past century, more than 18 million individuals have immigrated to the U.S. to become citizens, USCIS Field Office Director David Lester told the newly naturalized citizens and their families.

“We share your sense of pride,” he said.

During fiscal year 2016, USCIS welcomed 752,800 new citizens nationwide, 85,640 of whom came through the Los Angeles District Office. The agency saw a 24 percent jump in naturalization applications nationally from fiscal year 2015 to 2016, and overall volume of applications and petitions increased 27 percent from fiscal year 2012 to 2016, according to USCIS spokeswoman Claire Nicholson.

“In regards to why they’ve increased, I would only be speculating since we don’t ask applicants why they have applied for citizenship,” Nicholson said. “Through the years we constantly see ebbs and flows. The decision to apply for citizenship is a very personal and individual one.”

For Rafael Cordeiro, a retired mixed martial arts world champion who coaches at his gym Kings MMA in Huntington Beach, U.S. citizenship was something he had dreamed of since he was a teenager growing up in Curitiba, Brazil.

Cordeiro, 44, said he left Brazil and obtained a work visa because the U.S. is the biggest market for MMA training. He has since trained four champions.

“Today, I make my dream come true to come here, to fight for America, to defend America,” the Huntington Beach resident said. “The way that America helped me, I want to help it to become greater and greater, for the rest of my life.”

For Velazquez – who was 16 when she followed her mother into the U.S. without documents – the decision was centered around ensuring she could stay in the country with her two daughters, who are U.S. citizens.

“Now I feel more secure to be in this country,” Velazquez said, “because being a (permanent) resident, you don’t know what to expect with this presidency.”

Velazquez picked up her certificate and checked her printed information carefully. “Yes, that’s me,” she said, smiling widely.

Outside, her parents, who fled Mexico’s economic crisis and were naturalized under the Obama administration, greeted her with congratulations.

“You did it,” her mother Minerva Velazquez, 58, said in Spanish. “It was worth it, everything we have gone through.”

Her father, Arnulfo Velazquez, 72, said only one family member remains to be naturalized – his 27-year-old son.

“We are going to get that started so he can achieve it,” he said in Spanish. “It’s the last goal we have.