Four Democratic senators have raised concerns about a Trump administration policy that has halted immigration and citizenship cases for nationals from 39 countries. This pause has impacted green cards, naturalization applications, and work permits, causing uncertainty for families and employers. The senators criticized the policy, calling it an indefinite freeze on legal immigration processing based on nationality.
In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow, Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen, and Angela Alsobrooks expressed serious worries about the USCIS’s broad and indefinite pauses on immigration and citizenship cases. USCIS directives from December 2025 and January 2026 instructed officials to hold pending and future immigration benefit requests for individuals from the affected countries.
The senators highlighted that the policy affects various processes, including green card petitions, naturalization interviews, citizenship ceremonies, and employment authorization requests. They also criticized a directive for a comprehensive re-review of previously approved immigration cases involving individuals from the affected countries who entered the US after January 20, 2021. The lawmakers emphasized that USCIS should not stop adjudicating or re-adjudicating applications based solely on factors like national origin or date of entry.
The senators expressed concerns about the lack of information on how the pause is being implemented and reports of applicants being asked to resubmit fingerprints, causing further delays. They argued that the administration’s actions, based on a single incident, are disproportionately affecting applicants from nearly 40 countries. The consequences of these delays are already being felt by families and businesses, with individuals losing jobs due to lapses in work authorization.
