On December 4, 2025, immigrants in Boston were removed from a citizenship ceremony just before taking the oath of allegiance to the United States. This action was taken by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials, who cited the immigrants' countries of origin as the reason for their removal. These individuals had already completed the necessary steps to become naturalized citizens.

The USCIS had recently issued a directive to suspend all immigration applications for nationals from 19 countries, a list established by the Trump administration, which includes several African and Asian nations. This list has been associated with travel restrictions since June 2025.

Gail Breslow, executive director of Project Citizenship, a nonprofit organization assisting immigrants, reported that many clients received late cancellation notices for their citizenship ceremonies. She described the scene at Faneuil Hall, where individuals were asked about their countries of origin and subsequently removed from the line if they were from one of the designated high-risk countries.

Among those affected was a Haitian woman who had held a green card since the early 2000s. She attended the ceremony unaware of the cancellation, as she had not received timely notification. Breslow noted that the experience left many individuals feeling devastated and frightened.

Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the MIRA Coalition, criticized the actions of USCIS officials, describing them as unnecessarily harsh. She emphasized that the citizenship oath represents significant personal sacrifices made by immigrants and that canceling the final step of the process does not enhance national security.

USCIS had announced the suspension of applications in a memo on December 2, stating that the decision was made to ensure thorough vetting of applicants. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reiterated the administration's commitment to ensuring that only the most qualified individuals are granted citizenship, framing citizenship as a privilege rather than a right.