Citizenship Process Faces New Hurdles for Immigrants Under Trump Policy

The Trump administration is facing scrutiny over a new policy that has led to the abrupt cancellation of naturalization ceremonies for many lawful permanent residents this month. The policy places an indefinite "hold" on immigration applications originating from specific countries.

The holds impact both green card and U.S. citizenship applications submitted by individuals from 19 nations the administration considers “high risk.” These countries include Cuba, Iran, Haiti, and Somalia, among others.

It's important to note that lawful permanent residents, also known as green card holders, already undergo extensive vetting within the U.S. immigration system. The naturalization process requires an even more rigorous review. This includes thorough background checks, interviews with immigration officials, and a comprehensive citizenship test to demonstrate English proficiency and knowledge of U.S. civics.

The citizenship ceremony represents the culmination of a lengthy process. This involves holding a green card for a number of years, submitting an application, paying application fees, attending an interview with an immigration officer, successfully completing a background check, and passing both English and civics exams. Only after all these steps are completed can an applicant take the oath of citizenship.

According to Deborah Chen, a supervising attorney at the New York Legal Assistance Group’s immigrant protection unit, those scheduled for an oath ceremony have already satisfied all necessary requirements.

This policy change is the latest in a series of adjustments implemented this year that could potentially complicate the path to citizenship for immigrants.