Some citizenship naturalization ceremonies canceled ‘at the finish line,’ lawyer says

2:30New US citizens recite the Oath of Allegiance before receiving their naturalization certificates during a formal ceremony at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, June 25, 2025. Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

On December 4, Gail Breslow’s client, a Haitian national, arrived at the historic Faneuil Hall to take her citizenship oath. This event was anticipated to be the conclusion of several years of legal fees and documentation, marking the final hurdle before she could attain citizenship.

However, upon her arrival, Breslow reported that her client was informed she would not be swearing in.

“She was removed from the line, and she mentioned that others faced the same situation. She was told that her ceremony had been canceled and that she should not enter the building,” stated Breslow, the executive director of Project Citizenship, an organization that advocates for migrants navigating the naturalization process in Massachusetts.

Breslow asserts that her client is among numerous immigrants whose lives have been disrupted and whose aspirations for citizenship have been halted “at the finish line” as the Trump administration has suspended immigration determinations for individuals from nations it categorizes as “high-risk.”

New US citizens recite the Oath of Allegiance before receiving their naturalization certificates during a formal ceremony at Midway International Airport in Chicago, Illinois, June 25, 2025.Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images

Following an incident where an Afghan national was suspected of fatally shooting one National Guard member and seriously injuring another, the Trump administration halted all asylum determinations, broadened a travel ban, and canceled naturalization ceremonies nationwide.

The alleged shooter, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder.

In a memorandum released on December 2, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services indicated that individuals affected by the new directive might need to undergo “a comprehensive re-review process, which could include a potential interview and, if necessary, a re-interview, to thoroughly evaluate all national security and public safety risks.”

Critics of this action argue that the administration is exploiting the November shooting to scapegoat immigrants and further their deportation agenda.

“USCIS has halted all adjudications for individuals from high-risk countries while it works to guarantee that all individuals from these nations are vetted and screened to the greatest extent possible. This pause will facilitate a thorough review of all pending benefit applications for individuals from the designated high-risk countries. The safety of the American populace is always the priority,” a DHS spokesperson informed ABC News in a statement.

Since early December, Breslow notes that at least 21 of her clients have been instructed not to attend their naturalization ceremonies, the essential and final step that immigrants must complete after undergoing multiple vetting processes and interviews, having been informed that they have been approved for citizenship.

“These measures taken by the administration are not enhancing our nation’s safety in any way, and it’s a thinly disguised attempt to encourage individuals from specific backgrounds, whether religious, ethnic, or racial, to leave. I won’t say to go home, as this is their home, but this is xenophobia at its most blatant,” Breslow noted.

In November, an Afghan woman who relocated to the United States in 2018 under a Special Immigrant Visa, which provides legal residency to those who have assisted the U.S. government abroad, had a swearing-in ceremony planned but could not attend due to hospitalization, her attorney Habib Hasbini told ABC News. Hasbini states that his client cooked for soldiers in Afghanistan, and her son assisted as a translator. Though the ceremony was rescheduled for December, she was notified that it had been canceled.

“Had she not gone to the hospital, she would have her citizenship by now,” Hasbini, an immigration attorney based in San Diego, remarked.

ABC News has obtained a copy of one cancellation notice sent to immigrants who were scheduled to attend a ceremony.

“This is to inform you that, due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to cancel the previously scheduled Oath Ceremony on Wednesday, December 10, 2025,” the notice, dated December 2, states in part. “We regret any

Sourse: abcnews.go.com