WASHINGTON, United States — A coalition of US legislators has launched a forceful condemnation against the Trump administration’s recent immigration policy shifts, targeting specifically the indefinite suspension of application processing and citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from Caribbean nations and other countries affected by the travel ban.
Congressional Representative Pramila Jayapal, ranking member of the House Immigration Subcommittee, alongside Texas Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, has spearheaded the criticism following the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announcement halting immigration procedures indefinitely. In an official letter addressed to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, the lawmakers expressed profound concern that “soon-to-be citizens will be left in limbo for perpetuity, and families will remain separated” without clear timeline for resumption.
The legislators characterized the administration’s actions as fundamentally discriminatory, noting that “no amount of vetting, moral character or commitment to this country is enough to satiate the Trump administration.” They emphasized that green card interviews, naturalization proceedings, and even oath ceremonies are being paused or cancelled solely based on country of origin, despite applicants having completed rigorous vetting processes.
Separately, Representative Jayapal denounced a newly revealed directive requiring USCIS to supply the Office of Immigration Litigation with 100-200 denaturalization cases monthly. “I am absolutely outraged by the Trump administration’s plan to denaturalize American citizens by the hundreds every month,” stated Jayapal, herself a naturalized citizen who arrived in the US at age 16. She characterized this numerical targeting as evidence that “Trump is using the immigration system to go after anyone from countries he doesn’t like.
The Haitian Bridge Alliance (HBA) joined the criticism, executive director Guerline Jozef condemning Trump’s recent characterization of Somali immigrants as “garbage” as part of a “state-sanctioned dehumanization” campaign. Jozef noted the administration’s consistent pattern of xenophobic policymaking, referencing Trump’s previous description of Haiti and African nations with derogatory language.
Democratic Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, daughter of Jamaican immigrants, additionally criticized what she termed Trump’s “racist attack” on Somalia-born Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants in Minnesota, highlighting the administration’s targeted discrimination against specific immigrant communities.