South Dakota has welcomed 12 new US citizens into the Mount Rushmore state.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - US Citizenship and Immigration services and the US District Court of South Dakota initiated 12 people from 11 countries as new U.S. citizens.

The citizenship candidates live in Box Elder, Custer, Hill City, Mission, Pringle, and Rapid City.

One new citizen said that her favorite thing about being a new American citizen is the sense that she’s being taken care of.

”The freedom and the protection are what I like the most about this country, I was already feeling free so they treat you even if you’re not a citizen, they treat you as one of them, that’s such a good thing, on top of that the protection,” said Esma Winter, a new citizen from Turkey.

People can also use the US Citizenship and Immigration services online to apply.