About 100 immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship showed up to a recent naturalization ceremony at Union Station expecting to leave with a Certificate of Naturalization.
But 38 of them left empty-handed.
The applicants were denied citizenship because they were from countries listed as “high risk” in a Dec. 2 policy memo by the Trump administration, according to federal immigration officials.
“I am outraged by what occurred at Union Station today,” said Kate Sweeney Bell, the clerk of Marion County, in an emailed statement following the event. “Dozens of individuals who completed every requirement, passed every test, and (have) been fully vetted by our government were turned away the day they were to become United States citizens.”
Over the past week, immigrants in cities around the country have been denied their Certificate of Naturalization despite going through a rigorous five-year process.
Barbara Tully, who works with the Indianapolis chapter of the League of Women Voters, often attends naturalization ceremonies to sign people up to register to vote after they swear their oath of allegiance to the United States and receive their citizenship papers.
It’s a fairly routine affair. By that point, applicants have completed the required steps to become a citizen.
But at a Dec. 9 naturalization ceremony, Tully saw something she had never seen before: People were turned away at the finish line.
“Your ceremony’s been canceled. We’ll be in touch,” Tully heard a federal official say to a prospective citizen waiting in line to receive their certificate.
“I was so taken aback,” Tully told Mirror Indy. “It was sad to see because it clearly took people by surprise … it was heartbreaking for them. They didn’t understand. It seemed like they were in shock.”
Why some were turned away
Under the direction of President Donald Trump, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is now restricting the entry of immigrants from the following countries: Afghanistan, Burma, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela and Yemen.
The change comes after an Afghan national was charged with first-degree murder in a shooting that killed a member of the National Guard in Washington, D.C.
As a result of the policy change, which is expected to face legal challenges, immigrants from 19 countries who already went through a lengthy naturalization process have found themselves in legal limbo.
Immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship are required to live in the country legally for at least five years with no criminal history, and they must pass a citizenship test. The process costs about $1,000.
USCIS did not grant Mirror Indy’s request for an interview or respond to a list of detailed questions.
In a brief emailed statement, an unnamed spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security told Mirror Indy that USCIS has paused decisions on immigration cases from 19 “high-risk” countries to ensure that applicants “are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.”
Earlier this year, USCIS announced it would begin winding down certain Indiana naturalization ceremonies in an effort to “maximize use of resources.”
It’s the latest in a series of moves by the Trump administration to target immigrant communities. Since Trump took office, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have carried out raids in cities across the country, resulting in thousands of arrests.
Although the administration has said it’s targeting immigrants with criminal records, recent data shows that fewer than half of the immigrants arrested in Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., had a criminal record.
‘It must be devastating’
Indy residents who have gone through the naturalization process said they were thoroughly vetted and required to pass a citizenship test in order to receive their certificate.
For immigrants like Leonce Jean-Baptiste, executive director of the Haitian Association of Indiana, getting that certificate is a pivotal moment in their lives.
“It must be devastating for these people. It must be awful to have that feeling,” he said. “When I obtained my citizenship, it meant so much to me.”
Karla López-Owens, a naturalized citizen who advocates for Latino and immigrant communities, said she believes Trump’s latest effort targeting immigrants from certain countries is unconstitutional. She hopes organizations like the ACLU will file legal challenges.
“I think we need to mobilize and figure out what legal avenues we have to fight back,” she said.
Jean-Baptiste is concerned that people like him could be targeted under Trump’s immigration crackdown, despite already having gone through the naturalization process.
“Sometimes I think about my own citizenship,” he said. “What does that mean in today’s context? How long would it take anyone to question that?”
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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