The United States Suspends Naturalization Ceremonies for Some Permanent Residents from Restricted Countries

Recent changes driven by the Trump administration have begun to directly affect the path to U.S. citizenship. Permanent residents from countries included on the list of migration restrictions have seen their naturalization interviews and oath ceremonies —the final step before becoming citizens— canceled without prior notice, generating uncertainty and fear among thousands of people who had already met all legal requirements.

Also read: “The United States Expands Security Screenings and Requires Public Social Media Profiles for H-1B and H-4 Applicants”

The suspension of these processes intensified after an Afghan refugee was accused of an attack against members of the National Guard in Washington. In response, the administration has broadly paused the naturalization of migrants from 19 countries identified in a travel ban issued months earlier.

Legal organizations and attorneys in various cities point out that this represents a stricter application of policies aimed at limiting who can access citizenship, an effort that is advancing in parallel with other government initiatives, such as tightening the civics test, expanding social media reviews, and evaluating more “positive attributes” of applicants. For many lawful residents, these changes represent a climate of distrust and vulnerability, even for those who have lived in the country for decades and have faithfully completed all the steps to naturalize.

Despite these suspensions, some ceremonies continue to be held in courts across the country, where political tension mixes with the emotions of those who finally manage to complete their process.

From: https://www.nytimes.com/es/2025/12/07/espanol/estados-unidos/eeuu-proceso-ciudadania-migrantes.html

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