AMNA NAWAZ: It's the final step of a lengthy process to become a U.S.

citizen, the naturalization ceremony.

And in cities across the country in recent weeks, they have been abruptly canceled for immigrants from 19 countries that President Trump has deemed high-risk.

The cancellations follow the shooting of two National Guard members allegedly by an Afghan national.

The "News Hour" spoke to Marie, a Haitian woman who spent four years going through the citizenship process.

Her ceremony was slated for this Friday, but was canceled last week.

We're not showing her face or sharing her full name because of her fears over her status.

MARIE, Oath Ceremony Canceled: You try to do your best work hard, make sure you follow the laws and everything.

And then now you get to this print, and then you feel like, hey, what it this, after my hard work, everything that you do?

And then this is the result.

It's like a punch on the face, because I love America.

AMNA NAWAZ: For more, I'm joined now by Gail Breslow.

She's the executive director of Project Citizenship.

That's a nonprofit group that provides legal services to immigrants.

Gail, welcome to the "News Hour."

Thanks for joining us.

GAIL BRESLOW, Executive Director, Project Citizenship: Thanks for having me.

AMNA NAWAZ: So I want to make clear.

Marie is not one of your clients, but I understand some 20 of your clients were told they're not going to be able to go through with their nationalization ceremony.

Some were told on the same day of their ceremonies.

Just tell us what happened and how you learned about these cancellations.

GAIL BRESLOW: Yes.

Well, on November 27, the Trump administration put out a policy release from USCIS, U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services, announcing that they were going to be undertaking enhanced vetting and security measures in response to the tragic shooting that you alluded to in your lead-in.

And then I will just point out the irony of that.

November 27 was Thanksgiving Day, a holiday in this country celebrating all of us who have come here as immigrants.

Shortly thereafter, a few days after that, we began receiving phone calls and notifications on behalf of our clients that their oath ceremonies had been abruptly canceled.

One of our clients didn't receive the notice in time, although we had reached out to her, and by the time we connected with her, she had gone to Faneuil Hall for the oath ceremony that she had been scheduled for and told us that they were going down the line, they being officers, and asking every person what country they were from.

And depending on the answer that they gave, they were taken out of the line and told that their oath ceremony for that day was canceled.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Gail, for anyone unfamiliar with the process, what does it take to become a U.S.

citizen?

How many years?

How expensive is it?

What kind of vetting do people go through?

GAIL BRESLOW: People go through extensive vetting to become U.S.

citizens.

First and foremost, you have to already have a green card, which is an arduous process in and of itself and involves vetting.

And then to be eligible for citizenship, you have to have had a green card for at least five years.

You have to be able to demonstrate knowledge of English, knowledge of civics.

There's a lot of scrutiny that goes on in terms of background checks that you go through as part of the citizenship process.

You have an in-person interview with a USCIS, or U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services, officer as part of the process as well.

It is long and arduous.

AMNA NAWAZ: We asked the administration for comment.

And we got this response from the Department of Homeland Security mentioning USCIS, the agency that you referenced.

They say they have paused all adjudications for aliens from high-risk countries while they work to ensure that people are vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible.

They say the pause will allow for a comprehensive examination of all pending benefit requests for people from those designated high-risk countries.

And they note the safety of the American people always comes first.

Gail, given what you just laid out in terms of the vetting, is it clear to you what their definition of the maximum degree possible of vetting means?

GAIL BRESLOW: Not at all.

I don't think it's clear to anyone.

I mean, this is a thinly veiled attempt to thwart people's efforts to become citizens of this country, in particular people from certain countries, from certain backgrounds.

These folks have already been fully vetted.

And this is, again, just a thinly veiled excuse to encourage people to leave this country.

I'm angry and ashamed at the actions that the administration is taking in this respect.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Gail, I want to share for folks, this is a look at the 19 nations that have been deemed high-risk by this administration.

I'm not going to list them all here, but here's the map.

When you take a look at these, what is the common thread here?

Is there a higher risk for people from these nations?

GAIL BRESLOW: Not that I'm aware of.

I mean, when you look at what these countries have in common, the people who live there tend to be Black and brown people.

The people who live there often practice religions that aren't the most common in this country.

I can't think of any other reason why these countries would be singled out.

One of our clients, if I may, is a Haitian woman who has spent more of her life in this country than in Haiti, where she was born.

She has a teenage son.

She works as a certified nursing assistant.

She's been at the same job for over 20 years.

These are not criminals.

These are not people who need to be more thoroughly vetted than they already have been.

This is, again, just an excuse to turn this country into something other than what most of us are proud to be citizens of it for.

AMNA NAWAZ: So, Gail, what happens now for these clients?

Is there a possibility people who've gone through the process and come to the final step aren't able to fully become U.S.

citizens?

GAIL BRESLOW: People have that very question.

What we have been telling our clients is, as difficult as it is to hold tight for now while we wait for further information from USCIS -- it's been over two weeks and there's been nothing, even though their cancellation notices promise that, we will be back in touch with next steps.

Nothing has been forthcoming.

And we are at the same time exploring every legal avenue that might be available to us and our clients and are determined to fight for them and for the rights and privileges and benefits that they deserve.

AMNA NAWAZ: That is Gail Breslow, executive director of Project Citizenship.

Gail, thank you for joining us.

GAIL BRESLOW: Thank you for having me.