How the Trump administration is impacting Marin's community members' paths to citizenship
By Nadia Massoumi & Ellie Braggs
In his first 100 days in office, President Donald Trump has cracked down on numerous immigration-related executive orders that have placed undocumented migrants and lawful residents alike at severe risk of deportation. His recent actions have violated the law and the Constitution, and he has openly asserted the right to suspend any law that interferes with his agenda. The Trump administration aims to deport 1 million migrants annually and has since moved beyond the unauthorized immigrant population, with goals to restrict birthright citizenship, conduct more severe inspections of green-card holders and even prevent international students from entering the country. His policies make the situation more complicated for naturalization applicants across all stages of the process, to varying degrees.
Photo Illustration by Nadia Massoumi
Jen - Redwood senior and naturalization applicant from Iran
One student, who would prefer to be anonymous and will be referred to as Jen, is currently in the process of getting her citizenship and is in this country on a green card. For Jen, her family’s journey to citizenship has been a long, weary road.
“Way before I was even born, my dad really wanted to come to the United States, because he had heard so much about what life could be like living there. And then once he met my mom, she also got on board with that idea, and also wanted to see what America was like, and so they started the process of getting their visas and coming to the United States,” Jen said.
Jen’s status as an Iranian, a country infamous for its poor diplomatic relations with the United States, has severely hindered the efficiency of her citizenship process.
“It's a really long process because my family's from Iran, and there are a lot of complications when you try to come to the United States from a Middle Eastern country. [My parents] spent years and lots of money just trying to get the visa to come here initially,” Jen said.
For citizens like her, who come from countries in bad standing with the United States, coming to this country without connections can be very difficult. Luckily for Jen, her family friends in the United States offered her family assistance during the process. Despite their friends’ experience gaining citizenship, Jen’s family has still not gained their citizenship and has faced major setbacks.
“Our family friends were able to help us because they were familiar with how to do all the paperwork, which was really nice. But my parents went in for their first two interviews, and they failed. They didn’t pass because they couldn't speak English proficiently, and they missed a couple of questions, forcing them to redo the process all over again,” Jen said.
Jen herself hadn’t begun her citizenship process; instead, she has focused on providing for her family through work and adjusting to a new school life in a foreign country. Now, under the new administration, the pressure to speed up her family’s process has become all too real. Jen finds the best way to cope with the uncertainty is to stay informed and prepared.
“I think right now, there's a lot of fear going around, because there's so much unpredictability with what's gonna happen next, especially with the way the [Trump] administration is operating right now, to it's hard to say how my own application and process is going to be affected,” Jen said. “I think it’s important to be aware of what's going on and to connect with other people who are going through similar things, and be able to share your experiences because it's nice to know that there are other people going through similar things, even if it is not necessarily a good thing.”
Sara Hernandez - Redwood senior and newly naturalized citizen
One senior on the other side of the spectrum is Sara Hernandez. This month, Hernandez officially became a citizen after seven years of residency. For Hernandez, the decision to pursue citizenship was partly driven by her parents’ worries about her status.
“[My parents] were scared that even though I was a resident, [immigration officers] would still try to deport me, because they are deporting people based on their looks,” Hernandez said. “My mom told me to carry a picture of my passport, because they don't really care what your status is; they go based on your looks.”
Hernandez is also concerned for her parents, who are still in the process of becoming citizens themselves.
“I'm more scared for my parents, because they are residents, but they don't speak English, so it's been hard for them to complete the citizenship process, and it’s going to be harder to protect themselves. I'm trying to teach them, [for example], if there was a case where an officer stopped you: show your green card. Always show your green card. Show them that you are here the ‘correct way,’” Hernandez said.
The process of becoming a citizen wasn’t quick or easy, and her experience with the citizenship interview revealed how much the individual interviewer can influence the outcome.
“It matters who interviews you. If you have someone with an attitude, then you already know that you're not going to do that well, because they make you really nervous,” Hernandez said. “They intimidate you, and it is a scary process, because [only a few] mistakes can change your whole process.” Despite the stress, Hernandez felt fortunate for her interviewer.
“I was lucky to have a woman interview me, and she was the sweetest person. She came in and she asked me, ‘How was your day?’” Hernandez said. “But, when I was waiting for my [interview], I saw one interviewer come in and yell a man’s name, and the man was very scared because [the interviewer] looked like he was having a bad day. I could see it in the man's face; he was like, ‘I'm already done. I'm not going to pass this,’” Hernandez said.
The tense atmosphere of the waiting room only heightened the stress.
“It was so quiet. You could hear everyone breathing, like their heart beating, and it was so stuffy because everyone was stressed and sweaty. You could hear a pin drop. It felt so lifeless," Hernandez said.
Hernandez was able to combat the stressful environment through great practice and sought support from the Redwood community when preparing for the exam.
“[To prepare for the test,] I used Quizlet, note cards and even my government teacher helped me study with a small test. There are a lot of people who care about you, and they give you support if you don't feel like you have it,” Hernandez said.
Sonja Krabetz - Adult dual citizen of Germany and America since early 2025
Originally from Germany, Sonja Krabetz came to the United States 23 years ago to learn English. After years as a green card holder, Krabetz applied for citizenship, ultimately becoming a full citizen in early 2025. The process took around three months and cost nearly $900.
Despite her citizenship and the security of her home country, Krabetz remains cautious about the security of her new status in America.
“I feel a bit more confident in my status, but at the same time, with this [presidential] administration, you just don’t know,” Krabetz said. “I’m not really worried yet. If it were to be revoked and I had to leave this country, I have my home country to go to, and it's a safe country, a good country.”
Krabetz also stays informed on immigration news and feels especially drawn to the news concerning deportations to her home country.
“I have heard that there have been a few Germans who were deported and held because of their [citizenship] status. And so I feel worried because I feel like now, even if you want to visit from Germany, you just have to make sure that you really follow all the requirements,” Krabetz said.
Although her own application went smoothly, Krabetz acknowledged the individual nature of the citizenship process.
“Each country has its own relationship with the United States,” Krabetz said. “It’s really an individual process, and not one scenario fits all… [Gaining citizenship] was easy for me, but it might be a very different story for someone else.”
Immigrant Families Navigate Fear and Identity in the Trump Era
By Evan Wang
When Redwood parent Diana Wang became a U.S. citizen in 1983, she proudly placed her hand over her heart and recited the Oath of Allegiance. This pivotal moment marked the end of a long journey that began when she was six years old, escaping Vietnam with her family as North Vietnamese forces advanced on Saigon in 1975. They fled by boat, sharing it with David Tran, who later founded the Sriracha sauce company, before resettling in the U.S.
“I was too young to understand what was happening, but I remember the fear in my parents’ eyes,” Wang said. “America was meant to embody safety and stability. And mostly, it has. Yet recently, that sense of security has been compromised.”
While headlines often highlight undocumented immigrants or the construction of the border wall, less attention is given to policies and rhetoric that affect naturalized citizens and U.S.-born children of immigrants.
Under the Trump administration, immigration has become a heated political battleground. In Jan. 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order (EO) 14160, aiming to deny citizenship to individuals born in the U.S. to undocumented immigrant or temporary resident parents. This order contradicts the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship to anyone born on U.S. soil. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on this executive order in May 2025, showing its readiness to address this critical constitutional issue.
In Marin County, a predominantly white and affluent area, the threats of immigration enforcement may appear remote, especially for families like John Doe’s who have integrated into the community. Doe is a pseudonym for an anonymous source.
“I have always felt like we were just part of the system; it was no big deal,” Doe said. “But watching the news recently—with ICE and everything—I’m not so sure anymore.”
As he observes challenges to birthright citizenship, Doe finds himself questioning previously held assumptions.
“It’s easy to believe this won’t impact you,” Doe said. “If we start determining who can be American based on their parents or their documentation, it puts everyone on unstable ground. Even in Marin, where we feel protected, that uncertainty is tangible for many people.”
In a recent survey conducted by Bark involving 406 students at Redwood, 43 percent of respondents are immigrants or children of immigrants. Among this group, roughly 50 percent expressed feelings of insecurity regarding their or their family’s status in the U.S. because of the recent immigration and citizenship policies enacted by the Trump administration.
With the Supreme Court poised to deliberate on the executive order restricting birthright citizenship, families like Wang’s and Doe’s are still navigating the meaning of belonging. At the same time, others are beginning to recognize that protecting citizenship is a shared responsibility, rather than just an individual right.
Wang and her family celebrate her older son's birthday. Wang is a naturalized citizen originally born in Vietnam yet her family has been in the U.S. for decades. Photo Courtesy of Diana Wang.