What a underhanded thing to do…..
The Trump administration will no longer allow New York county courts or state supreme court justices to preside over citizenship ceremonies and has canceled many swearings-in already scheduled upstate.
In recent days, Nexstar’s WSYR has learned of naturalization ceremonies being canceled by the federal government without explanation across several New York counties.
Matthew Tragesser, spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), offered the following explanation to WSYR:
“USCIS is dedicated to ensuring that all aspects of the naturalization process comply with federal law. After reviewing the jurisdiction of certain New York county courts under the Immigration and Nationality Act, we have determined that these courts do not meet the statutory requirements to conduct naturalization ceremonies. As a result, USCIS will transition from judicial to administrative ceremonies to ensure compliance with the law. Aliens scheduled for ceremonies at these courts will be rescheduled, and their naturalization process will continue.”…
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The federal court’s Northern District of New York has multiple scheduled ceremonies still listed on its website. A spokesperson for the district said Wednesday the ceremonies were still being planned….
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New York Attorney General Letitia James, in a letter to USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, demanded answers regarding the cancellations, which she said were reported in Broome, Onondaga, Rockland, Schenectady, Tompkins, Washington and Westchester counties. She further noted that the move had raised alarm among both Democratic and Republican state officials.
One such Republican, Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham, relayed his disappointment in a Facebook post, saying “the Trump administration’s handling of immigration matters continues to raise concerns.” He also called on the USCIS to restore and reschedule the canceled ceremonies…
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