Overview
- USCIS directed staff to stop adjudicating cases for people from 19 countries on a White House travel ban list, prompting cancellations of interviews and oath ceremonies in multiple states.
- At Boston’s Faneuil Hall, officers asked applicants’ countries of origin and told those from listed nations they could not take the oath, according to Project Citizenship.
- USCIS announced a Vetting Center in Atlanta to centralize enhanced screening for immigration and naturalization, with the director citing recent violent incidents and national security.
- The administration shortened work-permit re-vetting to every 18 months for asylum, refugee and other humanitarian program holders, replacing the prior five-year interval.
- Lawyers and advocates report growing delays and uncertainty, with no timeline for rescheduling and limited guidance from USCIS, which has not released figures on those affected.