A Nigerian professor and his wife have finally become US citizens after successfully challenging the abrupt cancellation of their naturalisation ceremony by the Trump administration.
United States-based Nigerian professor, Sunday Goshit, and his wife, Regina, have officially become American citizens months after suing the administration of President Donald Trump over the abrupt cancellation of their naturalisation oath ceremony.
According to Peoples Gazette, the couple took their oaths of allegiance on Wednesday before family members and friends after the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reversed its earlier decision to halt their citizenship process.
The development marks the end of a tense chapter for the couple, whose planned oath-taking ceremony in January was cancelled just weeks before the event without any clear explanation.
The cancellation prompted the couple to file a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration in April, drawing support from residents and community groups in Iowa, where Goshit serves as an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of International Studies at the University of Iowa.
Reports said USCIS contacted the couple in May, informing them that their naturalisation process would continue. Shortly afterward, they received a fresh invitation scheduling their citizenship ceremony for June 10 in Des Moines, Iowa.
Reflecting on the milestone, Goshit described the moment as the culmination of decades of commitment and contribution to American society.
“It’s 25 years of waiting; 25 years of being in this country. And I’ve been involved in the community a lot. I’ve never felt like I’m not part of the American community. But now it’s completely different,” he said.
During a press conference in April, the professor had criticised the suspension of his application despite meeting all legal requirements.
“I’ve met every requirement, I’ve checked every box, I’ve contributed my expertise, my character and a legacy of educated, hardworking citizens to the state of Iowa. To halt the naturalization of a prepared, qualified and vetted resident of 25 years is a suppression of the very due process this country prides itself on,” he stated.
The controversy followed a proclamation signed by Trump that affected immigration processing for nationals from 39 countries, including Nigeria.
The policy later suffered a legal setback when Chief U.S. District Judge John McConnell struck it down, ruling that the administration lacked the authority to impose such restrictions.
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