On Dec. 4, a Haitian national represented by immigration attorney Gail Breslow arrived at Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall expecting to take the oath of U.S. citizenship — the final step in a process that had taken years of paperwork and legal fees.
Instead, Breslow said her client was informed that the naturalization ceremony had been canceled.
“She was pulled out of line, and she reported that others were as well,” said Breslow, executive director of Project Citizenship, which assists immigrants with the naturalization process. “She was told that her ceremony was canceled and that she should not enter the building.”
Breslow said her client is among many immigrants whose citizenship plans have been put on hold after the Trump administration paused immigration decisions for individuals from countries it considers “high-risk,” effectively halting cases at what advocates describe as the final stage.
The policy shift followed a November shooting in which an Afghan national was accused of killing one National Guard member and critically injuring another. In response, the administration paused all asylum decisions, expanded a travel ban, and canceled naturalization ceremonies nationwide. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.
In a memo issued Dec. 2, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said individuals affected by the directive may be subject to a “thorough re-review process,” including potential interviews or re-interviews, to reassess national security and public safety concerns.
Critics argue the administration is using the November attack to justify sweeping immigration restrictions and advance a broader deportation agenda, unfairly targeting migrants who have already undergone years of vetting.
In a statement to ABC News, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security defended the pause.
“USCIS has paused all adjudications for aliens from high-risk countries while USCIS works to ensure that all aliens from these countries are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible,” the spokesperson said. “The pause will allow for a comprehensive examination of all pending benefit requests for aliens from the designated high-risk countries. The safety of the American people always comes first.”
