Krishnamoorthi, Subramanyam Press USCIS On Immigration Holds

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India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, D.C- Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois, and Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from Virginia, are leading a congressional effort to obtain answers following reports that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has imposed broad adjudication holds tied to new “enhanced security checks.”

The two lawmakers joined 21 House colleagues in a June 4 letter to USCIS Director Joseph Edlow and FBI Director Kash Patel expressing concern that the reported policy could affect millions of pending immigration cases.

The lawmakers warned that the reported holds could worsen an already significant immigration backlog, leaving applicants waiting longer for decisions that affect their ability to work, travel, and remain legally in the United States.

“It is imperative to thoroughly screen and vet all applicants seeking immigration benefits, but such vetting should not serve as the basis for an indefinite moratorium on adjudications for any class of immigrants,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.

They requested details about the scope of the reported holds, including how many cases may be affected, which immigration benefit categories are involved, how long delays could last, and whether USCIS and the FBI have the resources to conduct expanded background checks without creating additional backlogs.

The lawmakers also sought information on whether applicants are being notified when their cases are paused, how USCIS plans to meet statutory processing requirements, and whether premium processing fees will be refunded if guaranteed timelines are missed because of the reported delays.

“Security vetting is essential, but it must be narrowly tailored, lawful, and consistent with USCIS’s obligation to adjudicate cases on an individualized basis,” the lawmakers wrote.