They were almost American – then Trump cancelled their citizenship ceremonies

Sanam, an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States more than a decade ago, was finally about to become a U.S. citizen. Years of dealing with paperwork, permits, tests and security checks led her to the final step: the naturalization ceremony.

But then, just two days before she was due to take the oath of office on December 3, the US government suddenly canceled it.

Sanam was shocked and confused at first – there was no explanation. She didn't understand why the ceremony was cancelled, even though she had done nothing wrong, she told the BBC.

She later learned that it was because of where she was born, and she was overcome with sadness and disappointment.

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

Sanam, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation but decided to share her nickname, lives in Oregon with her husband, a US citizen from Kansas. Her identity was confirmed by the BBC.

Her case is one of many: earlier this month, the Trump administration began canceling citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from 19 countries already under travel banincluding Iran.

This controversial decision has left some legal permanent residents like Sanam – people who have already completed all steps of the US citizenship process and were just waiting for the final formality – in a vague state of limbo.

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

This experience made Sanam wonder whether she should stay in the US. She still has family in Iran, including her aging parents, and doesn't know when she'll be able to see them again.

“It's hard to think about hope right now,” she said. “It's a really scary time and unfortunately as the holidays approach, it's very sad that people are going through this and it should be a time of joy and gathering with family.”

The cancellation of swearing-in ceremonies is just part of the Trump administration's latest efforts to tighten immigration rules. Immigration processing of migrants from 19 countries already subject to travel bans has been stopped no matter where they are in the process, not just the final stage.

The move and others like it come days after an Afghan citizen opened fire on members of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. on November 26, killing one and seriously injuring another. The Trump administration has used the shooting to justify a series of new efforts to curb immigration, including sending more 500 National Guard troops to Washington, reducing the validity of a work visa from five years to 18 months, and suspension of all asylum applications solutions.

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

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

“An indefinite pause is a ban, plain and simple, and they are using the recent shooting in Washington as an excuse to escalate attacks on immigrants and refugees,” Mr Bruzzone told the BBC.

One Venezuelan immigrant, Jorge, was also on the cusp of becoming a U.S. citizen when suddenly, less than 24 hours before the Dec. 2 ceremony, he was told it had been canceled without explanation.

“I prepared everything, including attending the ceremony with my son. Canceling the ceremony the day before for no apparent reason left us with no clarity on next steps,” Jorge said.

Jorge (not his real name) asked to remain anonymous but his identity and experience have been confirmed by the BBC. He said he received his residency in 2017 under the “extraordinary ability” category, which is reserved for professionals in his field.

Jorge agrees with the Trump administration that immigrants need to be “tougher”, he told the BBC. He blames the Biden administration for allowing too many immigrants into the country and adds that if he could vote, he would support President Donald Trump.

What worries him, he said, is that long-term residents with no criminal history are now being “lumped together” with people who he believes do 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.

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

New York state alone was home to about 132,000 people of Venezuelan descent in 2023, according to data compiled by the New York Immigration Coalition.

The suspension has disrupted people's lives at every stage of the immigration process, forcing them to wait it out in “enormous uncertainty,” Mr. Bruzzone said.

Sanam's husband, who chose not to be named for fear of retaliation, told the BBC the timeline of events was striking.

“If these National Guard members 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 was due to take place.

“It makes you a little crazy how quickly the mechanism to change all these policies worked,” he said. “It just feels like in this case the administration clearly didn’t let a good crisis go to waste. And it’s quite difficult to hide under that.”