After the Boston incident, Indianapolis also saw the cancellation of naturalization ceremonies for immigrants from Haiti and 18 other countries identified by the Trump administration.
At a naturalization ceremony at Indianapolis’s Union Station, federal officials prevented many candidates from obtaining U.S. citizenship, despite their completion of all legal requirements. The Trump administration has tightened restrictions on nationals from several countries considered high risk by Washington.
According to information provided at the site, 38 of 100 candidates were not permitted to take the oath, the final step to citizenship. This order followed a directive issued December 2, 2025, by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which was implemented immediately without significant public notice.
A policy applied without clear advance warning
Zhibo Zhao, a USCIS representative at the ceremony, confirmed that “the oaths of 38 participants were cancelled.” He stated that affected individuals were notified two weeks earlier, although the agency officially informed the public of the suspension only on December 2.
When asked about the implications for affected applicants, Zhao could not confirm whether these individuals now face expulsion. “Washington will decide that. We are simply applying orders from our chain of command,” he said. He added, “I served in the military. In the federal government, everything works like the military: you follow orders, plain and simple.”
A total of 62 individuals were naturalized during the December 9 ceremony.
A directive linked to expanded migration restrictions
The USCIS decision follows the Trump administration’s imposition of travel restrictions on 19 countries since June: Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen.
The week before the ceremony, the federal agency announced the immediate suspension of asylum and certain citizenship applications for nationals of these countries.
In a December 4 interview with FOX News host Laura Ingraham, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that restrictions could be extended to “more than 30 countries.” An internal State Department cable, reported by the Washington Post in June, previously outlined a proposed ban affecting 36 countries.
Local outrage and condemnation of the discriminatory policy
Local officials responded immediately. Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell, who typically attends ceremonies to register new voters, strongly condemned the last-minute cancellation.
In a statement, she emphasized the determination of affected candidates: “These future citizens worked tirelessly to reach this moment. They studied our history, learned our laws, and demonstrated their commitment to our country.”
She continued: “They arrived surrounded by their families, proud and enthusiastic, ready to take the oath, only to see their dreams shattered at the last minute by a racist policy of the federal government.”
Families present expressed confusion, with some reporting they received only ambiguous USCIS communications without clear reasons or next steps. For several years, processing remained suspended in uncertainty.
A national climate of migration restrictions
Since the start of his new term, President Donald Trump has ordered significant changes to immigration programs, including an overhaul of the asylum process, stricter security criteria, and increased border controls. The suspension of naturalizations in Indianapolis is part of this broader strategy.
Immigrant rights advocates argue that this measure will disproportionately affect families long established in the United States who have already met all federal requirements.
