The next step was citizenship. Then these immigrants were pulled out of line.
| Boston
For immigrants, naturalization ceremonies represent the culmination of their yearslong effort to earn citizenship. In front of a federal judge, permanent residents raise their right hands, repeat the Oath of Allegiance to their new country, and usually wave a small American flag with pride once the judge confirms their citizenship.
On Dec. 4, inside Boston鈥檚 Faneuil Hall 鈥� a historic site where revolutionaries like Samuel Adams fostered the idea of American freedom 鈥� one such event took a turn. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officers denied entry to several people who showed up for their naturalization ceremony, according to Project Citizenship, a nonprofit providing legal support for those seeking citizenship. Each of these individuals was from one of 19 countries the Trump administration identified as high-security risks under a Dec. 2 Department of Homeland Security , which mandated the immediate pausing and review of immigration applications from those countries, including Haiti, Afghanistan, and Venezuela.
What happened at the Boston ceremony is part of a tightening of the naturalization process throughout the country. In late November, New York state Attorney General Letitia James wrote to USCIS questioning its decision to cancel ceremonies in several counties in her state; USCIS said the counties 鈥渄id not meet the .鈥� On Dec. 9 in Indianapolis, 38 out of 100 prospective citizens were at their ceremony, according to local news reports. Local outlets in Atlanta reported that, on Dec. 12, had their oath ceremonies canceled.
Why We Wrote This
In Boston and other cities, some lawful permanent residents are having their naturalization ceremonies canceled, amid a Trump administration review of applicants from 19 countries identified as posing high security risks.
The efforts to clamp down on legal immigration pathways follows the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, one fatally, just before Thanksgiving. An Afghan national, who entered the country legally in 2021 through a program for allies who served alongside the U.S. military, has been with first-degree murder. Following that attack, President Donald Trump quickly announced significant immigration restrictions, including a pause on asylum decisions. This week, the Trump administration to a list of nations whose citizens face full or partial bans on entering the U.S.
Those who apply for naturalization are some of the most thoroughly vetted immigrants in the country. To be eligible, an immigrant must generally have been a lawful permanent resident for , be a 鈥減erson of good moral character,鈥� and pass tests in civics and English. The process can take , and the oath ceremony is largely seen as a formality.
Gail Breslow, the executive director of Project Citizenship in Boston, said that 21 clients of the organization had their naturalization ceremonies canceled this month. Clients were either pulled out of line at the Dec. 4 ceremony or notified via email that their ceremonies, scheduled for Dec. 4 or Dec. 10, had been canceled.
One client who was turned away in person has lived in the U.S. for more than 20 years, Ms. Breslow says. 鈥淪he鈥檚 been background checked, she鈥檚 been fingerprinted, she鈥檚 had her photo taken, she鈥檚 been tested on her knowledge of US civics. 鈥� This is someone who has already been told that they鈥檝e been approved for citizenship.鈥�
In Minnesota, naturalization ceremonies have also been canceled in recent weeks, says Jane Graupman, executive director of the International Institute of Minnesota, which provides legal services for immigrants. Only four of the organization鈥檚 clients have been granted citizenship this month, compared with the typical 40 to 70. In addition, the institute has documented more than 60 cases since November of immigrants who received fee waivers for their citizenship applications having officials from the USCIS鈥� fraud division show up at their homes to review documents such as tax records and mortgages, according to Ms. Graupman.
In a statement to the Monitor, a USCIS spokesperson said the agency has 鈥減aused all adjudications for aliens from high-risk countries鈥� while it 鈥渨orks to ensure that all aliens from these countries are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.鈥�
鈥淭he pause will allow for a comprehensive examination of all pending benefit requests for aliens from the designated high-risk countries,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淭he safety of the American people always comes first.鈥�
Immigration lawyers and advocates have condemned the cancellations as unnecessary and cruel.
鈥淏y the time you actually get to the ceremony, you鈥檝e gone through so many steps and so many processes; you already feel like you鈥檙e an American,鈥� says Jeffrey Thielman, president and CEO of the International Institute of New England, which supports immigrants and refugees. 鈥淚t鈥檚 discouraging to people, and it also creates more anxiety among the immigrant population.鈥�
The actions from the Trump administration come at a time when national support for the president鈥檚 handling of immigration is dwindling. by the Associated Press-NORC Center found that approval of Mr. Trump鈥檚 immigration policies has dropped from 49% in March to 38% in early December.
鈥淭ip of the iceberg鈥�
Over the last year, the White House has made illegal immigration a focal point in its agenda 鈥� from large scale Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations to the mobilization of National Guard troops, the Border Patrol, and other federal agencies to assist immigration enforcement officers. Now, USCIS鈥檚 recent policies are restricting legal immigration pathways, posing roadblocks for those seeking citizenship.
Jeannie Kain, a lawyer at Kain Immigration, suggests that the cancellation of naturalization ceremonies is the 鈥渢ip of the iceberg鈥� on the possible outcomes from the USCIS memorandum.
Under , those pulled from the naturalization ceremonies need to be certified as a citizen within 120 days of their citizenship interview. Ms. Kain suggests that legal action is likely to be taken on behalf of those whose ceremonies have been canceled. Her greater concern is for those from the 19 high-risk countries who have pending asylum cases or are seeking green cards.
鈥淚 have [a client] who has been waiting since 2014 for a decision on their asylum case. ... And now he鈥檚 not going to get a decision.鈥�
Ms. Kain also worries that the number of high-risk countries will increase. It鈥檚 not clear yet whether nationals who are already in the U.S. 鈥� but from the latest countries added to the Trump administration鈥檚 travel ban 鈥� will also face additional vetting for their asylum, green card, or citizenship applications.
The Trump administration might also be intensifying efforts to revoke citizenship from some who have already been naturalized. USCIS field offices have been 100 to 200 denaturalization cases per month in the 2026 fiscal year, according to recent reporting in The New York Times.
On Dec. 10, another ceremony was held at John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston, days after the Faneuil Hall ceremony where immigrants were turned away. Jane Ellis, one of many volunteers that help new citizens register to vote, said that extra volunteers were called in the event of a similar disruption.
鈥淚 just cannot imagine people going through all the steps that they have to do to get to this point. And to be turned away is just horrific,鈥� says Ms. Ellis, who began volunteering during the first Trump administration. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 even get my head around it.鈥�
Supporters of the administration鈥檚 immigration policies see tighter restrictions as a boon. Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at the Heritage Foundation, this month calling for a new immigration system that 鈥減rioritizes Americans first, lawful immigrants second, and illegal aliens not at all.鈥�
鈥淚n short, lawful applicants who are eligible for an immigration benefit should have it granted in a timely manner, and those who are not eligible should be denied expeditiously and then promptly depart the U.S.,鈥� Ms. Ries writes.
Immigration advocates such as Ms. Breslow criticize the recent Trump administration policies for targeting people based on nationality, which she calls 鈥渪enophobic and racist.鈥� Of the 19 high-risk countries, most are in Africa or the Middle East.
鈥淭hese are people who鈥檝e made their lives here. They鈥檙e our neighbors, they鈥檙e our co-workers, they鈥檙e people we sit next to on the bus and the subway,鈥� she says.
Naturalization ceremonies have long been a beacon of hope to immigrants seeking the American dream.
Mounifa Prosnitz, who is originally from Brazil, has lived in the U.S. for nine years. She walked into Moakley Courthouse last week as a permanent resident, and left as a U.S. citizen. After receiving her citizenship certificate, Ms. Prosnitz said she felt 鈥渇ree.鈥�
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to explain it, it [feels] so good. Now I can vote, I can serve the country. I can do something to be better here.鈥�
