HOUSTON — More than 1,300 people became U.S. citizens Wednesday during a naturalization ceremony in north Houston.
The packed auditorium was filled with people from 115 different nations who came to America in search of a better life.
Many from Mexico and other Central and South American countries shared their thoughts on the controversial Texas immigration law, SB 4.
58-year-old Fernando Salazar immigrated from El Salvador.
"I came here when I was little and it took me years, but all those years this country has given me so much and I fall in love with it,” Salazar told us.
He was 14 years old when he escaped what he says was a volatile time in his country.
"There was a war going on over there in El Salvador during that time and, thank God, I was able to escape, and they opened the door for me here, opened their arms for me," Salazar said. "What country would do that? Only the United States."
Like many, he's been closely following the fate of SB 4 which would allow local and state law enforcement in Texas to arrest and charge anyone they suspect has crossed into the border illegally.
It's a law that Salazar said he supports.
"You have to realize it's right, taking care of the borders, that's my opinion," he said.
Opponents of SB 4 believe it unfairly targets Latinos.
New citizen Jose Flores, 32, who immigrated from Mexico with his family when he was 10, opposes the law.
"We're going in the wrong direction, instead of including everybody, we're excluding and just being judgmental of how they look, and it's not fair," Flores said.
He's grateful his long-time goal of becoming a naturalized citizen finally came true.
"I'm excited and this is a blessing,” Flores told us.
He shared that his heart remains heavy for those who may be impacted if the immigration law is allowed to stand,
"I do have family members who are not residents or citizens and that will also mean that if they get stopped or anything, I will probably not see them,” Flores said.
SB 4 remains on pause as it plays out in the courts.