"Before proceedings at this month's event got under way, staff from the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) asked arrivals expecting to swear the oath of allegiance that would finally confirm them as citizens to state their country of origin. Those from nations included on a travel ban list announced by Donald Trump last summer were then excluded from taking part, despite having completed the years-long vetting process."
"But Gail Breslow, executive director of Boston-based Project Citizenship which had helped guide her citizenship application said she was left devastated and distraught. Our client hadn't received USCIS's written notification on time and turned up expecting to become a citizen, Breslow said. She told us she was not alone in this and the same thing happened to others. The image of officers going down a line and asking people where they were born,"
The naturalization ceremony at Boston's Faneuil Hall excluded candidates from nations on a travel ban list after USCIS staff asked attendees their country of origin. Individuals who had completed years-long vetting were prevented from taking the oath of allegiance and sent home. A Haitian nursing assistant of nearly 25 years residency and others faced denial after a sudden Trump administration policy change on security grounds. Project Citizenship reported several applicants arrived without timely written notification and were devastated. One Honduran applicant was allowed to naturalize, highlighting the emotional contrast between celebrants and those removed from the line.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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