Sanam, an Iranian immigrant who had built a life in the U.S. over a decade, was on the precipice of a lifelong dream: becoming a US citizen. After years of relentless dedication—navigating intricate paperwork, securing approvals, passing demanding tests, and enduring rigorous security vetting—she stood at the final hurdle: the naturalization ceremony. Her oath was scheduled for December 3rd, a date etched in her mind as the culmination of her arduous journey. But just two days prior, the US government delivered a devastating blow, abruptly cancelling the ceremony.
Initially, Sanam was enveloped in shock and confusion. “There was no explanation,” she recounted to the BBC. Having meticulously followed every rule, she couldn’t fathom why her ceremony was revoked. The truth, when it surfaced, was crushing: her birthplace. Sadness and profound frustration replaced her initial bewilderment. “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,” Sanam shared, the weight of the ordeal evident in her voice. “It’s just very heartbreaking.”
Sanam, who lives in Oregon with her US citizen husband, represents a growing number of individuals caught in this sudden immigration crackdown. Earlier this month, the Trump administration initiated a wave of **US citizenship ceremonies cancelled** for immigrants from 19 countries already subjected to a travel ban, Iran among them. This controversial decision plunged legal permanent residents like Sanam – individuals who had cleared every single requirement and were only awaiting the final formality of the **naturalization oath cancelled** – into an agonizing state of indefinite uncertainty. “It just feels like our life is kind of in this limbo state, unstable,” Sanam lamented, expressing a pervasive sense of powerlessness, “at the mercy of what the government decides.”
This harrowing experience has forced Sanam to question her future in the US, torn between her established life and her aging parents in Iran, whom she now fears she may never see again. “It’s hard to think about hope at this point,” she admitted, reflecting the despair felt by many as the holiday season approached.
The cancellation of oath ceremonies is a stark manifestation of the **Trump immigration crackdown**’s latest expansion. Beyond final-stage applicants, migrants from these 19 countries face halted immigration processing at every step. This escalation followed a tragic incident on November 26th, where an Afghan national opened fire on National Guard members in Washington D.C. The Trump administration swiftly leveraged the shooting to justify a series of new restrictions, including deploying additional National Guard troops, slashing work visa validity periods, and pausing all asylum claim decisions. **USCIS citizenship delay** became the new reality for thousands.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services asserted these restrictions were vital for national security and public safety. However, Mario Bruzzone, Vice President of Policy at the New York Immigration Coalition, strongly countered this narrative. “An indefinite pause is a ban, plain and simple, and they’re using the recent shooting in D.C. as a pretext for an escalation in attacks on immigrants and refugees,” Mr. Bruzzone told the BBC. The **travel ban citizenship impact** was clear: it put already vulnerable immigrants in perilous situations.
Jorge, a Venezuelan immigrant, echoed Sanam’s predicament. Less than 24 hours before his December 2nd ceremony, he received the abrupt cancellation notice, devoid of explanation. “I had everything prepared, including attending the ceremony with my son,” Jorge expressed, frustration palpable. “To have it cancelled the day before, without any clear reason, left us with no clarity about the next steps.” Jorge, who secured permanent residency in 2017 through the “extraordinary ability” category, even agreed with the need for “stricter reviews.” Yet, he found himself unjustly “generalized” alongside individuals he believed warranted deeper scrutiny. “I just want those of us who have followed every rule to be able to move forward with our cases,” he argued, highlighting the arbitrary nature of the blanket cancellations.
Mr. Bruzzone emphasized that many immigrants from the 19 affected nations—refugees, asylum seekers, and legal permanent residents like Sanam and Jorge—have already undergone years of extensive, multi-layered security and health vetting. The sudden halt has destabilized countless lives, leaving an estimated 132,000 Venezuelan-born people in New York alone in a “huge amount of uncertainty,” according to NYIC data.
Sanam’s husband, grappling with the bewildering timeline, remarked, “If those National Guard members weren’t attacked last week, but this week, [my wife] would be a citizen right now.” He concluded grimly, “It just feels like the administration clearly didn’t let a good crisis go to waste in this case. And it’s pretty tough to be underneath that.”
For thousands like Sanam and Jorge, the dream of becoming American, once so tangible, has been snatched away at the last moment. These **immigrants limbo US policy** has left them in a heartbreaking state of suspension, their futures uncertain, their contributions unacknowledged, and their hope dwindling in a season meant for joy and family.
