Iowa residents asks courts to intervene after Trump administration cancels citizenship ceremony

A 26-year Iowa City resident was approved for US citizenship. Then the Trump Administration canceled his citizenship ceremony at the last minute.

Dr. Sunday Goshit came to Iowa City from Nigeria in 2000 on a student visa with a specific plan: earn a PhD in geography and go home. But over the next quarter century, Iowa City became home instead.

He earned an associate’s degree, three certificates, two master’s degress and a doctorate from the University of Iowa and Kirkwood Community College. Today, he teaches at the UI International Studies Program, organizes the African Festival of Arts and Culture in Iowa City, co-leads a food pantry, and has served on the board of UI’s Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. He even preaches in rural Iowa churches on Sunday mornings.

Last year, Goshit applied for US citizenship. He passed the naturalization exam and his interview in Des Moines. United States Citizenship and Immigration Services approved his application and scheduled him and his wife to take the oath of citizenship this year.

Everything was going smoothly when a letter arrived: “Your citizenship has been altered due to unforeseen circumstances.” No explanation. No new date for his oath ceremony.

Last December, the Trump administration announced a travel ban targeting immigrants from Nigeria and nearly 40 other countries, most of them in Africa and the Middle East. Within days, USCIS paused naturalization processing for Nigerian nationals, sweeping up applicants already deep in the process—some of whom, like Goshit, had already been told yes.

A USCIS spokesperson told NPR that the administration is “making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.”

“I was very angry,” Goshit said. “I have been in this country for so long. I’ve played by the rules. It was very disheartening.”

On Friday, Goshit filed a federal lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. He is being represented by law students at the University of Iowa College of Law’s Federal Impact Litigation Clinic. 

“What’s interesting is the government cannot point to a single law, regulation, or policy that justifies this cancellation,” said Tiffany Brinkman of the clinic. “These immigration agencies are acting outside the scope of their authority, violating the law, and their own well-established procedures.”

Goshit remains a legal permanent resident. His green card is intact and his ability to remain in the country is not at risk. But without citizenship, he cannot vote, hold a US passport, or hold public office.

“I’m not asking for a favor,” Goshit said at a Friday press conference in downtown Iowa City. “I’m asking for the conclusion of a process I have earned through decades of residency, education, and unwavering commitment to the United States.”