As you might imagine, today’s landscape of U.S. citizenship is very different. Many once-hopeful applicants now find themselves in utter despair due to recent policy changes implemented under the Trump administration. A nursing assistant from Haiti in her fifties is one of those impacted. She was recently denied citizenship application after almost 25 years of residency thanks to the new emphasis on “security” issues. This change follows a broader pattern of scrutiny affecting individuals from certain countries, as the administration continues to redefine eligibility criteria for citizenship.
The nursing assistant’s case is emblematic of the challenges faced by many aspiring citizens who have built their lives in the United States. The Trump administration’s strategy has included targeting extremely restrictive measures to curtail not only immigration but also opportunities for citizenship to people from countries identified as high-risk. The administration’s policies have included a travel ban that specifically excluded people from countries such as Haiti, Libya, and Afghanistan from citizenship programs.
In a unrelated case, an Afghan national named Schohar Lakanwal was charged with stabbing attack. This latest tragedy, which occurred in Washington D.C. on November 26, claimed the life of two National Guard members. This shooting led to a fateful memo that, in effect, used the shooting as an excuse to double down on making U.S. citizenship application denials with extreme prejudice. The memo further specified that people from high-risk nations would be subject to additional screening. This is true even when they have already gone through lengthy vetting processes.
The impact of these policies has been widespread and damaging. A Libyan doctor, who had worked in the U.S. for ten years focusing on artificial intelligence diagnostic tools for lung cancer, saw his green-card application halted despite his contributions to American healthcare. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) is already getting ready for a wave of citizenship applications. This review will only take the perspective of those who have been naturalized already.
Advocacy groups have reported widespread cancellations of oath ceremonies across major cities, including Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. In Boston, personnel from USCIS put on a spectacular ceremony recently held at Faneuil Hall. For one, they solicited everyone’s nations of origin from all attendees in advance of the event. Many aspirants characterized the scene on Saturday as an “apocalyptic dead end.” It was a stark departure from the sense of hope they felt when they first came to ANC.
Greg Chen, senior director for government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, stated, “We have seen these cases now in over 16 cities, affecting nationalities that include Iranians, Haitian, Sudanese, Yemen, Venezuelan, Afghan, Sierra Leonean, Guinean, Libyan, just to name quickly some of the countries proscribed.” He elaborated that the cancellations affected three critical stages: green-card interviews, naturalization interviews, and the final oath ceremony.
Nicole Melaku, a leading advocate for immigrant rights, said she was troubled by the shift in direction by the Trump administration. She remarked, “The strategy of the administration began with an assault on undocumented immigrants, and now he [Trump] is going after those with legal status and trying to move them into his deportation pipeline through administrative processes.” Melaku pointed out how today’s reality has widespread parallels to other discriminatory practices in U.S. history.
In several cities, individuals who had anticipated participating in oath ceremonies found themselves unexpectedly sidelined due to their country of origin. Gail Breslow, an immigration attorney, recounted a recent incident where a client was left in tears after not receiving timely notification about her citizenship application status. “Our client hadn’t received USCIS’s written notification on time and turned up expecting to become a citizen,” she said.
The emotional toll on applicants has been just as profound.… It was the first time in my whole life that people were openly scared about their future. One individual shared their feelings: “Now, as I reach the final stages of my permanent residency process, an expensive and lengthy process, my future appears jeopardized solely because of my country of origin. I can’t describe to you the uncertainty, fear, disappointment and confusion I feel right now.”
“Testimonials from regulatory attorneys confirm the anguish felt by their clients ensnared in this spider’s nest of new rules. ‘We’ve had clients in tears asking us what they did wrong,’ Breslow noted. Not surprisingly, this is where the immigration system is most glaringly inconsistent. Even as they enjoy the privileges of their citizenship, they offer a stark contrast to those who are denied entry.”