Immigrants in Trump's naturalization ceremony didn't know it was for the Republican convention


At least two of the immigrants who appeared in the naturalization ceremony that aired during the Republican National Convention on Tuesday night didn't know until "a few minutes before" that President Trump would be involved, nor did they have any idea the footage was going to be part of the convention, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Sudha Narayanan, an Indian immigrant, and Neimat Awadelseid, a Sudanese immigrant, told the Journal they "didn't mind" being a part of the convention, only that they hadn't been told prior to the ceremony how it was being used. But critics, including Tim Miller, the political director for Republican Voters Against Trump, slammed the Trump campaign for using the ceremony for a political purpose, without the consent of the attendees. "He's exploiting these people at a ceremony that is sacred and fundamental to what makes this country great," Miller said.
Others echoed the complaints even before The Wall Street Journal's story came out. "[H]ow sad, how wrong it was, that their first moments as citizens were spent in a White House full of people almost certainly engaged in breaking the law while their new chief executive treated them as nothing more than props in a political spectacle," wrote USA Today. The New York Times notes that "[e]ven though he praised the new citizens, Mr. Trump has long sought to reduce legal immigration into the United States and has recently moved to shrink or eliminate visa programs that allow companies to hire foreigners to work in the United States."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Added MSNBC's Joy Reid, "My mother was a naturalized citizen. Donald Trump using the ceremony that meant so much to her (in large part because she was excited to be able to vote) IN the White House, is really hard to watch. It's an abomination, in that this ceremony is NOT about worshiping a president."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Political cartoons for October 18
Cartoons Saturday's editorial cartoons include conversion therapy, Russ Vought, and more
-
President Trump: ‘waging war’ on Chicago
Talking Point Federal agents are carrying out ‘increasingly aggressive’ immigration raids – but have sanctuary cities like Chicago brought it on themselves?
-
Crossword: October 18, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
DOJ indicts John Bolton over classified files
Speed Read Continuing the trend of going after his political enemies, Trump prosecutes his former national security adviser
-
Trump, Putin set summit as Zelenskyy lands in DC
Speed Read Trump and Putin have agreed to meet in Budapest soon to discuss ending the war in Ukraine
-
Courts deal setbacks to Trump’s Chicago operations
Speed Read President Donald Trump cannot deploy the National Guard in Illinois
-
Pentagon reporters turn in badges after refusing rules
Speed Read They refused to sign a restrictive new press policy imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth
-
Supreme Court points to gutting Voting Rights Act
speed read States would no longer be required to consider race when drawing congressional maps
-
Trump says he authorized covert CIA ops in Venezuela
Speed Read He is also considering military strikes inside the country
-
‘Vile, racist’ leaked chats roil Young Republicans
Speed Read Leaders of Young Republican groups made racist, antisemitic and violent comments in private chats
-
Trump ties $20B Argentina bailout to Milei votes
speed read Trump will boost Argentina’s economy — if the country’s right-wing president wins upcoming elections