They were almost American – then Trump cancelled their citizenship ceremonies

Sanam, an Iranian immigrant who arrived in the United States more than a decade ago, was finally one step closer to becoming an American citizen. Years of paperwork, approvals, tests and security checks had brought her to the final step: a naturalization ceremony.

But just two days before she was due to take the oath of office, on December 3, the U.S. government abruptly rescinded it.

Sanam was shocked and confused at first – there was no explanation. She didn’t understand why the ceremony was canceled when she had done nothing wrong, she told the BBC.

She later found out it was because of where she was born, and sadness and frustration crept in.

“It’s only been years and I feel exhausted and I wonder if I can even continue this process? Because it’s been so hard,” Sanam said. “It’s just very heartbreaking.”

Sanam – who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of reprisal but chose to share her nickname – lives in Oregon with her husband, a US citizen originally from Kansas. His identity has been verified by the BBC.

His case is just one of many: Earlier this month, the Trump administration began canceling citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from 19 countries already under a travel ban, including Iran.

The controversial decision left some legal permanent residents like Sanam — people who had already gone through all the steps in the process of becoming U.S. citizens and were only waiting for the final formality — in a state of indefinite limbo.

“We just feel like our lives are kind of in a limbo, unstable state,” Sanam said, adding that she and her husband feel “at the mercy of what the government decides.”

This experience led Sanam to reconsider whether it is worth staying in the United States. She still has family in Iran, including her elderly parents, and she doesn’t know when she will be able to see them again.

“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 really sad that people are going through this, and it’s supposed to be a season of joy and reunion with family.”

Canceling swearing-in ceremonies is just part of the Trump administration’s latest efforts to tighten immigration rules. Migrants from the 19 countries already under a travel ban have had their immigration processes disrupted, no matter where they are in the process, not just those in the final stages.

The move, and others like it, came days after an Afghan national opened fire on members of the National Guard in Washington, DC on November 26, killing one and seriously injuring another. The Trump administration used the shooting to justify a number of new efforts to curb immigration, including sending 500 additional National Guard troops to Washington, reducing the validity period of work visas from five years to 18 months and suspending all decisions on asylum applications.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the restrictions were necessary to safeguard national security, protect American lives and ensure public safety.

But Mario Bruzzone, vice president of policy for the New York Immigration Coalition, a nonprofit that represents hundreds of immigrant rights groups, said the restrictions put immigrants who need protection in dangerous situations.

“An indefinite pause is an outright ban, and they are using the recent shootings in Washington as a pretext for an escalation of attacks against immigrants and refugees,” Mr Bruzzone told the BBC.

A Venezuelan immigrant, Jorge, was also about to become a U.S. citizen when suddenly, less than 24 hours before his December 2 ceremony, he was told that it had been canceled, without explanation.

“I had prepared everything, including attending the ceremony with my son. The cancellation the day before, without any clear reason, left us with no clarity on the next steps,” Jorge said.

Jorge, not his real name, asked to remain anonymous, but his identity and background have been verified by the BBC. He said he was granted permanent residency in 2017 through the “extraordinary ability” category, reserved for professionals at the top of their field.

Jorge agrees with the Trump administration that there should be “stricter screenings” of immigrants, he told the BBC. He blames the Biden administration for allowing too many immigrants into the country and added that if he could have voted, he would have supported President Donald Trump.

What worries him, he said, is that long-term residents with no criminal history are now being “generalized” alongside people who he says require closer scrutiny.

“I just want those of us who followed all the rules to be able to move forward with our cases – and for those who committed fraud or crimes to face the appropriate legal consequences,” Jorge said.

The NYIC’s Mr. Bruzzone said many immigrants from the 19 countries — including refugees, asylum seekers and legal permanent residents like Sanam and Jorge — have already undergone extensive vetting that takes years and involves multiple layers of security and health checks.

Living in New York state alone, there were approximately 132,000 Venezuelans born in 2023, according to data collected by the New York Immigration Coalition.

The shutdown disrupted people’s lives at every stage of the immigration process, leaving them waiting out the end in “tremendous uncertainty,” Mr. Bruzzone said.

Sanam’s husband, who chose not to release his name for fear of reprisals, told the BBC the timeline of events was staggering.

“If these members of the National Guard had not been attacked last week, but this week, [my wife] would be a citizen right now,” he told the BBC the day after Sanam’s swearing-in ceremony.

“You’re kind of crazy about how quickly the mechanism to change all these policies was put in place,” he said. “It just feels like the administration clearly didn’t let a good crisis go to waste in this matter. And it’s pretty hard to be below that.”