On a recent rainy Thursday morning, a man from Niger walked into the Indiana War Memorial & Museum expecting to leave as a U.S. citizen.
He took his place in line, but when it was his turn to check in, he was told he would not be receiving his certificate of naturalization.
“You were pulled from the ceremony. We’ll be in touch,” an official from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services told the man without further explanation.
The man, who declined to give his name or speak with reporters, was one of two people who were turned away at a Dec. 18 naturalization ceremony, which marks the final step to become a U.S. citizen.
Federal immigration officials who were at the event declined to answer questions, saying they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Kate Sweeney Bell, the Marion County Clerk, told the man he should speak with his attorney about getting his ceremony rescheduled.
It’s unclear how long he’ll have to wait.
“To see something like that makes me sick to my stomach,” Bell said.
A growing trend
The man is one of many immigrants across the country who have been turned away from naturalization ceremonies since the Trump administration began restricting immigration proceedings for people from countries his administration deemed “high-risk.”
Get the backstory
They are in a state of limbo despite completing all the requirements to become naturalized citizens — living in the U.S. for at least five years, passing a criminal background check, completing English and civics tests and passing an interview with USCIS. The process costs about $1,000.
The list of restricted nations now includes more than 30 countries. Niger was added to the list two days ago.
The Trump administration put a pause on immigration proceedings for people from those nations and others after an Afghan refugee was charged in the shooting death of a member of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services did not immediately respond to a Dec. 18 request for comment.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security previously told Mirror Indy in an emailed statement that USCIS is working to ensure that people from certain countries “are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible” to ensure “the safety of the American people.”
While the new policy is expected to face legal challenges, it’s little consolation for immigrants who have found themselves in a state of purgatory.
Last week, nearly 40 people were denied their certificates prior to a ceremony that was held at Union Station in downtown Indy.
Meanwhile, recent reporting from The New York Times shows that USCIS is also ramping up efforts to strip some already naturalized Americans of their citizenship, alarming some immigration advocates.
Related
Feds to wind down certain Indiana naturalization ceremonies, block on-site voter registration
The federal agency that confers citizenship upon thousands of new Hoosiers annually is pulling back from naturalization ceremonies held in donated venues — to the alarm of volunteers who won’t be allowed inside the “in-house” alternatives to register prospective voters.
‘Mixed emotions’
For those who did receive their naturalization certificate, the Dec. 18 ceremony was a day of celebration.
The 83 applicants came from 26 different countries.
Evelyn Gleason, who emigrated from Germany more than 10 years ago, embraced her 9-year-old daughter, Hayley, after she swore the oath of allegiance.
But she sympathizes with immigrants who were denied the joy she experienced despite completing the same steps.
“I felt devastated for them, because I know how long it takes,” Gleason said. “Having the status of an immigrant has started to become negative.”
It was a bittersweet day for Rozzette McCarrick, a 44-year-old working mom from the Philippines who recently found out her father has lung cancer.
She went 13 years without seeing her dad, who emigrated with her mother to the U.S. in the 2000s.
McCarrick brought her six children to the U.S. in 2018, after an 11-year-effort to gain legal entry to the U.S.
She attended the ceremony with her husband, Craig, whom she met at the Amazon warehouse where they both work in southern Indiana. She took his last name on the same day she got her certificate of naturalization.
“I feel so blessed that I got it, finally,” McCarrick said.
Related
Becoming a U.S. citizen: Resources to help in Indianapolis
Mirror Indy spoke with the Immigrant Welcome Center to outline the steps to citizenship and answer common questions.
Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations.
Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.
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