Citizenship Ceremonies Are Back On in Upstate New York After Abrupt Halt
Citizenship Ceremonies Are Back On in Upstate New York After Abrupt Halt
nytimes.com
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency, which had canceled naturalization ceremonies in several upstate New York counties, has reinstated the celebrations after an appeal from a congressman who said “the decision shouldn’t have happened.”
The agency had said on Tuesday that county courts did not meet federal requirements to conduct naturalization ceremonies, and that it had chosen to stop them as a result. At the time, Matthew J. Tragesser, a spokesman for the agency, said that applicants whose naturalization ceremonies had been scheduled would receive new appointments and that their naturalization processes would continue elsewhere.
At least seven counties had been affected by the interruption, said Timothy C. Idoni, the clerk in Westchester County, where officials have held such ceremonies for more than 40 years. Mr. Idoni said that Mr. Lawler had notified his office that the ceremonies had been restored, but as of Friday morning, he had not heard from federal officials by that afternoon.
Mr. Lawler — whose wife emigrated from Moldova and is a naturalized citizen — had written a letter to Mr. Edlow a week ago calling the policy change “deeply concerning for new citizens and their families.” Mr. Lawler said that he had spoken with Mr. Edlow twice since then and had received notice from the agency about 5 p.m. Thursday that it had made the change by mistake.
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