During a special ceremony in Northern California in the last week of 2010, 24 children took the oath and became new citizens of the United States. The children were from twelve different countries, and some of them were so young that their parents had to hold up their right hands during the oath. Some of the children became naturalized because their parents had previously become naturalized citizens of the United States. Other children were sworn in because they had been adopted by U.S. citizens. In 2000, the U.S. Congress changed the immigration law to automatically grant citizenship to children adopted by parents who are U.S. citizens. Earlier, adopted children would first have to apply for a green card  to become permanent residents, before they could apply for U.S. citizenship. Children who are older than 14 when they are sworn in to become citizens must recite the oath to defend the United States against its enemies, and to renounce any allegiance to all foreign powers, but none of the children at this citizenship ceremony were old enough to have to say the words. Instead the director of the immigration office where the ceremony took place, lead the children through the oath.