Immigrant’s US citizenship ceremony gets abruptly canceled
However, just two days before the event, the government abruptly cancelled it.
She initially felt shocked and confused, saying, "It's been just years and just feeling drained and feeling like, can I even keep going with this process? Because it's been so hard," and added, "It's just very heartbreaking." Later, she discovered that the cancellation was tied to her country of origin.
Sanam lives in Oregon with her husband, a US citizen from Kansas, and asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Her case is among many affected after the Trump administration began cancelling citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from 19 countries already under a travel ban, including Iran. This policy has left legal permanent residents like Sanam, who had completed nearly all steps of the process, in a state of limbo. "It just feels like our life is kind of in this limbo state, unstable," she said, adding that she and her husband feel "at the mercy of what the government decides."
The situation has forced Sanam to reconsider her future in the US, as she worries about her aging parents in Iran and her uncertain ability to visit them. "It's hard to think about hope at this point," she said. "It's a really scary time and unfortunately as we approach the holidays, it's just really sad that people are going through this, and it's supposed to be a season of joy and getting together with your family."
The cancelled oath ceremonies are part of a broader effort to tighten immigration rules.
Migrants from the 19 banned countries have seen processing halted at all stages, not only at the final step.
The policy followed a shooting on November 26 by an Afghan national targeting National Guard members in Washington DC, which the administration cited to justify measures including deploying extra troops, reducing work visa validity from five years to 18 months, and pausing asylum decisions. US Citizenship and Immigration Services stated the restrictions are intended to protect national security, safeguard American lives, and ensure public safety.
Mario Bruzzone, vice president of policy at an immigrant rights nonprofit, criticized the policy, saying, "An indefinite pause is a ban, plain and simple, and they're using the recent shooting in DC as a pretext for an escalation in attacks on immigrants and refugees."
Another immigrant, Jorge from Venezuela, was also set to take his oath on December 2 but had his ceremony cancelled less than 24 hours before it was scheduled. "I had everything prepared, including attending the ceremony with my son. To have it cancelled the day before, without any clear reason, left us with no clarity about the next steps," he said. Jorge, who asked to remain anonymous, obtained permanent residency in 2017 through the "extraordinary ability" category reserved for top professionals.
While he supports stricter immigrant reviews, Jorge said, "I just want those of us who have followed every rule to be able to move forward with our cases — and for those who have committed fraud or crimes to face the appropriate legal consequences." He expressed concern that long-term, law-abiding residents are now being unfairly grouped with individuals who may require more scrutiny.
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