As of September 11, 2018, the Trump Administration has implemented another controversial change to the naturalization process that may prevent countless legal immigrants from achieving citizenship.
In the past, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) administrators were encouraged to streamline the long and complicated immigration process by providing second chances to applicants who made application errors. Many immigration applicants only speak English as a second language; as a result, it’s not unusual for application paperwork to have both minor and major clerical mistakes. The USCIS administrators used to notify applicants to send in the corrected paperwork before it could damage their chances at citizenship.
However, the new policy changes could prevent countless legal immigrants from achieving green cards and citizenship by increasing the penalties for clerical mistakes. USCIS administrators now have the ability to deny an application outright, keep the expensive application fee, and notify government agencies to initiate the deportation process against the applicant. Even immigrants who take every correct legal step may be immediately subject to immigration court and deportation hearings just for a small clerical error.
Many immigrants and advocacy groups fear that these increasingly radical policy changes are being enacted to effectively prevent any immigrants from entering and thriving in the United States.
Seek Legal Representation
This is a difficult and uncertain time for immigrants. If you’re seeking citizenship or require deportation defense, contact the Houston immigration attorney at Simon Law Group, PLLC. Our firm provides compassionate and effective legal representation to clients worldwide. We can help you fill out your application for naturalization, guide you through the citizenship application process, and train you for your naturalization interview with a USCIS administrator.
Additional Reading
- President Trump Proposes Changes to Complicate the Asylum Process
- Immigration Basics: What You Need to Know
- Deportation Defense: How To Avoid Removal
We can represent your best interests through each step of the naturalization process. Call Simon Law Group, PLLC at (713) 839-0639 to schedule a consultation.
