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Approved Immigrants Left Waiting After Naturalization Ceremonies Paused
MLN — 20 JAN 2026: President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend U.S. naturalization ceremonies for applicants from dozens of countries has left thousands of approved immigrants in limbo, according to lawmakers and immigration advocates, after many had already completed the final steps toward citizenship.
The pause followed a deadly shooting involving a National Guard member in Washington, D.C. In response, Trump announced on Thanksgiving that he would halt migration from what he described as “Third World Countries.” The following week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended naturalization ceremonies for citizens of 19 countries covered by a new travel ban. That list has since expanded to 39 countries.
In many cases, applicants have already passed the civics and English exams and received approval for citizenship but are now unable to take the oath of allegiance, which formally completes the naturalization process. Lawmakers say their offices have received a surge of calls from affected residents.
Representative Adriano Espaillat of New York said constituents who completed the process now face uncertainty at the final stage. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said approved applicants have been removed from scheduled ceremonies without clear guidance on when or if they will be rescheduled.
The Department of Homeland Security said the pause allows USCIS to conduct additional vetting of applicants from what it has designated as high-risk countries. A DHS spokesperson said the review is intended to ensure screening is conducted “to the maximum degree possible” and emphasized that public safety remains the priority.
Immigration advocates dispute that rationale, noting that naturalization applicants typically undergo multiple background checks over many years before becoming eligible for citizenship. Shev Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association said many affected applicants have lived in the United States for decades and have already passed extensive reviews.
Members of Congress have pressed the administration for more information. Representative Pramila Jayapal of Washington led a letter requesting data on how many people are affected, how applications are being re-examined, and when ceremonies may resume.
The U.S. typically naturalizes about 800,000 new citizens each year. As the pause continues, lawmakers say uncertainty surrounding ceremonies has also made some eligible applicants fearful of attending scheduled appointments, even if they are not from countries included in the ban.
