The U.S. Government Halts Processing of Certain Permanent Residency Applications

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has "temporarily halted the finalization process" for certain lawful permanent residency applications, also known as green cards. The finalization process for applications submitted by some immigrants for lawful permanent residency in the U.S. has been stopped due to the implementation of an executive order by Donald Trump, the President of the United States, issued in January. The Department of Homeland Security stated that the USCIS, which is a subsidiary of this department and responsible for citizenship, legal status, and other immigration benefits, has suspended the processing of certain green card applications to conduct further security checks. Trump's executive order, signed on January 20, titled "Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats," requires federal agencies to "fully vet and assess all foreigners intending to enter or reside in the United States—especially those coming from regions or countries with known security risks." In a statement attributed to a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, it was mentioned that the agency has "temporarily halted the finalization of certain status change applications to permanent residency to conduct additional screening and security checks." According to CBS News, this statement did not answer questions such as which applications are affected, whether this halt will impact the agency's budget, how long this halt will last, etc. Reports indicate that for refugees and those who have been granted asylum in the U.S., these checks are additional to a process they have already undergone; a process that is particularly stringent for refugees who are usually screened outside the country. Laura Collins, director of the Economic Growth Initiative at the George Bush Institute, told CBS News, "Individuals, whether as refugees or asylum seekers, must provide specific documentation. All individuals who have been granted permission to settle or remain in the United States have been approved by the U.S. government to stay here." Typically, individuals who receive asylum or enter the United States as asylum seekers must wait a year before they can apply for a green card. Collins noted that it is still unclear how these security checks will be conducted and how long this halt will last. She recalled that during Trump's first term, the USCIS was very meticulous to ensure that even the smallest sections of each form were filled out correctly. She added, "For example, if someone did not have a middle name... their application would be returned, stating: you did not fill out the middle name section." Collins mentioned that the USCIS may also review social media, "things that may have been checked before, but this time from the perspective of another individual or with greater scrutiny." Trump had taken similar steps during his previous presidency. During that first term, the USCIS was required to review each application "with meticulous precision," an action that, according to Collins, disrupted the agency's operations. Meanwhile, the Immigration Policy Institute reported that the USCIS faced a budget shortfall of $1.2 billion in 2020, due to a decrease in applications and an increase in background check costs; costs that have nearly tripled from 2016 to 2020. This comes as the immigration agency announced that for the first time in a decade, it has been able to reduce the backlog of cases by 15% in 2023 and by 11.2% the following year.