US cancels citizenship ceremonies for migrants from travel ban countries
The US has halted processing of all immigration applications linked to the 19 countries currently subject to travel bans, according to an internal official memo seen by BBC partner CBS News.
Immigration officials were told to “stay final judgment in all cases” and pause naturalization ceremonies for immigrants on the verge of gaining citizenship.
This comes amid reports that Donald Trump is considering increasing his June travel ban from 19 countries to 30.
It’s the latest tightening of immigration rules following last week’s shooting in Washington, D.C., that left one National Guard soldier dead and another in critical condition.
It was stated that the suspect was an Afghan citizen living in the USA.
On June 4, the White House identified 19 countries that would face full or partial immigration restrictions, predominantly in Africa, the Middle East and the Caribbean.
Tuesday’s guidance was issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which last week halted all asylum decisions and said it would re-examine green card visas issued to U.S. immigrants from countries with travel bans.
Making clear the extensive restrictions imposed, the statement says: “This hold includes all types of forms and the taking of final decisions (approvals, denials), as well as completing any oath ceremonies.”
UCSIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser confirmed the pause to the New York Times. He said: “The Trump administration is making every effort to ensure that individuals who become citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right.”
Immigration lawyers say some clients, including immigrants from Venezuela, Iran and Afghanistan, had their citizenship hearings canceled this week, according to ABC News.
The naturalization ceremony is the culmination of an application process that takes up to five years. Crowds often wave miniature American flags as new citizens swear allegiance to the United States.
The White House’s latest move comes as Trump increasingly blames immigrants and refugees for causing what he calls “social dysfunction” in the United States.
The Trump administration intensified its crackdown on immigrants after 20-year-old guard Sarah Beckstrom was killed and 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe was seriously injured in a shooting attack in the capital last Wednesday.
It was stated that the arrested suspect was originally from Afghanistan and traveled to the USA as part of a program that provided special protection to Afghans who worked with US forces before the Taliban came to power.
