WASHINGTON, D.C. — As the Trump Administration’s sweeping and punishing travel ban takes effect, halting all immigration applications from nearly twenty countries, we are now witnessing its chaotic implementation upend the lives of families and would-be new Americans. Late last week, federal agents plucked people from their citizenship ceremony in Boston based on their country of origin, moments before taking the Oath of Allegiance, throwing out a years-long undertaking to obtain American citizenship and remain rooted with families.

Said Liz G. Sweet, executive director, Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA): “Our clients are in shock that after complying with all the steps to become citizens of this country, they were pulled from their naturalization ceremony. After interviews, vetting, tests, and an approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a joyful day became one of devastation. Pulling individuals out of this final step to take their oath of citizenship was simply cruel.” 

Said Caitlyn Lewis, executive director, Community Center for Immigrants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: “Last week, I had to make nine heartbreaking calls to clients to tell them they could no longer become U.S. citizens—not because of anything they did wrong, but because of where they were from. These are immigrants who have spent years building lives, studying for their exams, and contributing to our communities. This discriminatory policy doesn’t just delay paperwork; it disrupts families, futures, and the promise of belonging.”

Said Nicole Melaku, National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) executive director,   “In our democracy, there is room for everyone. Across administrations, there have been orderly procedures to guide individuals through the lawful processes and ensure the appropriate vetting of prospective new Americans. The Trump Administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to dissuade eligible people from seeking citizenship and prevent families from fully rooting themselves in this nation they call home. Removing people at the finish line of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is cruelty on top of chaos. These individuals and their families have spent years pursuing legal immigration pathways, enduring extensive vetting processes, and dedicating themselves to their communities, only to suffer the collective punishment of the Trump Administration. NPNA demands immediate oversight and Congressional intervention to protect one of the core tenets of our democracy: access to citizenship.”

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The National Partnership for New Americans (NPNA) is a multi-ethnic, multiracial coalition of 88 of the nation’s largest immigrant and refugee rights organizations with reach across over 42 states. Together with our members, we advance immigrant and refugee equity and inclusion, build and expand immigration legal services and integration programming capacity, and drive campaigns that strengthen democracy through increased civic participation. See our website for more information at partnershipfornewamericans.org.