Thirteen lawful permanent residents have filed a lawsuit regarding a delay in the processing of their citizenship applications by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The lawsuit claims the delay to become U.S. citizens inhibits their ability to vote in the November 2022 elections, which is a civil right that they should be allowed in their pursuit of life in the United States.

The plaintiffs filed their citizenship applications in 2020 when the Federal Records Center was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The immigration files, also called A-files, are required to be reviewed by a USCIS officer before an interview can be scheduled and the application can potentially be approved; this made any progress in the citizenship process impossible until the center reopened. The Federal Records Center is now open and fully staffed again, but A-file retrieval is not being prioritized, and USCIS has not communicated a potential timeline for the resumption of the immigration application process. The only communication they have shared with the plaintiffs is that they “anticipate a delay in completing” the applications, although the delay has been ongoing for some time.

The plaintiffs are suing USCIS, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) which operates the Federal Records Center, and the agent heads of both organizations, for their prevention of the plaintiff’s abilities to fully participate in life as US citizens.

If you have questions about your delays in processing or any other immigration-related issue, contact us at ILBSG. We put our extensive expertise and experience to work for you, to ensure your clients get the right advice.

citizenship National Archives and Records Administration USCIS