Dozens turned away at the last minute under Trump-era “high-risk” country freeze – some after waiting decades
Boston, MA – December 8, 2025 What was supposed to be the happiest day of their American journey turned into humiliation and heartbreak last week at historic Faneuil Hall.
Dozens of immigrants – many of them Haitian, Afghan, Cuban, Venezuelan, and Somali – arrived in their Sunday best, clutching small American flags, ready to take the Oath of Allegiance and finally become U.S. citizens. Instead, they were pulled out of line, asked their country of birth, and told to go home. Their long-approved naturalization ceremonies had been abruptly frozen.
“They checked our passports like we were criminals,” one Haitian woman who has lived legally in Massachusetts since the 1990s told L’Union Suite in tears. “I brought my children to watch me become American. Instead they watched me get sent away.”
According to multiple eyewitnesses and attorneys present, USCIS officers began asking every applicant, “Where were you born?” Anyone from the 19 countries now labeled “high-risk” under a sweeping Trump administration directive was immediately disqualified from proceeding – even those whose cases had been fully approved months ago.
The Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition (MIRA) confirmed that at least five previously approved Haitian and African immigrants had their oath ceremonies canceled on the spot. Another 40+ cases in Massachusetts alone are now on indefinite hold.
A Nationwide Freeze Hits the Diaspora Hardest
The Boston incident is not isolated. Similar scenes have played out in federal buildings from Miami to Manhattan, Houston to Los Angeles since the internal USCIS memo surfaced last week. The directive pauses all immigration benefits – green cards, asylum, family petitions, and yes, even citizenship – for nationals of 19 countries, including:
- Haiti
- Afghanistan
- Cuba
- Venezuela
- Somalia
- Yemen
- Iran
- Sudan
- and 11 others
Many of these immigrants have been lawful permanent residents for 10, 20, even 30 years. They passed FBI background checks, English and civics tests, paid thousands in fees, and were literally minutes from raising their right hand – only to be told “not today.
“The Cradle of Liberty” Feels Like Anything But
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who attended a separate naturalization event earlier this year, released a blistering statement:
“It is despicable and deeply painful to see people who have followed every rule, waited decades, and contributed to our city turned away from the Oath of Allegiance inside Faneuil Hall – the very place we call the Cradle of Liberty. This is not who we are.”
Civil-rights groups call the policy discriminatory on its face. “This is a Muslim and Black ban dressed up in national-security language,” said Carol Rose, executive director of the ACLU of Massachusetts. “They are punishing people for where they were born, not for anything they’ve done.”
A Dream Deferred – Again
For the Haitian community, the pain cuts especially deep. Many of those affected fled violence or natural disasters decades ago, built businesses, raised American children, and paid taxes while waiting in line. Now, just as they reached the finish line, the rules changed overnight.
“They told us America rewards hard work and patience,” said Marie, a Haitian nurse from Mattapan whose ceremony was canceled. “Today they showed us something different.”
Legal challenges are already being prepared. In the meantime, the small flags that were handed out at Faneuil Hall last week remain folded in purses and pockets across New England – waiting for a day that has no date.
We will continue to follow this story and share ways you can help. If you or a loved one has been affected, drop your story in the comments or DM us.
This is not the end of their American story. It’s just a painful new chapter.
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