(AP) — About 45 people are expected to become U.S. citizens later this month in a special ceremony at the Homestead National Monument.

The public is invited to attend the ceremony at 2 p.m. on Sept. 16. The event is the culmination of the process for this group of foreign-born individuals to gain most of the rights of U.S. citizens.

Park Superintendent Mark Engler says holding the ceremony at the Homestead Monument makes sense because the Homestead Act encouraged immigration to the country.

The Homestead National Monument is located about 4 miles west of Beatrice and 45 miles south of Lincoln.