“The week “Last week I had to make nine heartbreaking calls to clients to tell them they could no longer obtain US citizenship, not because of anything they had done wrong, but because of their origin,” said Caitlyn Lewis, executive director of the Community Center for Immigrants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "These immigrants are who have dedicated years to building a life, preparing for their exams, and contributing to our communities. This discriminatory policy not only delays their immigration processes but also disrupts the future of families and the promise of belonging." The new policy from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came after the attack on two National Guard members in Washington, DC, by Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national, which resulted in the death of Sarah Beckstrom, one of the service members. The official ban includes 19 countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, but also Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela. However, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated that it could be extended to 32 countries. In addition to implementing a travel ban, the policy requires a review of the immigration applications of individuals from Afghanistan, Burundi, Chad, Cuba, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Laos, Libya, Myanmar, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, and Yemen. “I won't specify the number, but it's more than 30. And the president is still evaluating countries,” Noem said on Fox News. “If they don't have a stable government, if they don't have a country that can stand on its own two feet and tell us who these people are and help us investigate them, why should we allow people from that country to come to the United States?”

Immigration Lawyers' Alert

Ben Johnson,executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), stated that the changes are “radical attacks on the entire US immigration system.”

“The ripple effect of these policies will be felt in every corner of our economy and in communities across the country,” he warned in a virtual press conference. “We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. "I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain." become citizens of this country, they were removed from their naturalization ceremony,” said Liz G. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”““““stated that the changes are “radical attacks on the entire US immigration system.”

“The ripple effect of these policies will be felt in every corner of our economy and in communities across the country,” he warned in a virtual press conference. “We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. "I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain." become citizens of this country, they were removed from their naturalization ceremony,” said Liz G. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”stated that the changes are “radical attacks on the entire US immigration system.”

“The ripple effect of these policies will be felt in every corner of our economy and in communities across the country,” he warned in a virtual press conference. “We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. "I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain." become citizens of this country, they were removed from their naturalization ceremony,” said Liz G. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.””

“The ripple effect of these policies will be felt in every corner of our economy and in communities across the country,” he warned in a virtual press conference. “We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. “I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.””

“The ripple effect of these policies will be felt in every corner of our economy and in communities across the country,” he warned in a virtual press conference. “We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. “I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”“We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. "I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain." become citizens of this country, they were removed from their naturalization ceremony,” said Liz G. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”“We're talking about canceled naturalization ceremonies, thousands of appointments at USCIS and the State Department that could trigger asylum and adjustment of status cases, arbitrarily shortened work authorizations, and entire categories of people suddenly finding themselves in a precarious situation.”

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: "The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed," he said. "I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain." become citizens of this country, they were removed from their naturalization ceremony,” said Liz G. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.””

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: “The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed,” he said. “I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.””

He warned that the Trump Administration is creating a policy based on prejudice against immigrants.

“What we are seeing now is a policy built on prejudice and fear, not on facts or laws, or on a coherent vision of public safety,” he said. “AILA is calling on Congress to ensure that USCIS, the State Department, and other agencies faithfully fulfill their statutory duties and immediately repeat these new policies.” Jeremy McKinney, former AILA president, lamented that the current administration's deportation policies face no obstacles, even in the courts, while legal processes for immigrants to remain in the US are warned: “The message is unequivocal: if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed,” he said. “I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed,” he said. “I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”if the process benefits you [the immigrant], it is suspended. If it harms you, it moves forward at full speed,” he said. “I can mention one case where the pause doesn't apply at all: the immigration courts. And that's because the Administration is turning the immigration courts, which are part of the Department of Justice, into a deportation chain. Sweet, executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Defense Coalition (MIRA). “After interviews, background checks, tests, and approval from a Citizenship and Immigration Services official, what should have been a happy day turned into one of devastation.” Sweet called it “cruel” to block immigrants from the final step to obtaining citizenship, while Nicole Melaku, The executive director of the National Alliance for New Americans (NPNA) believes the Trump Administration is employing “fear tactics.” “The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home,” she lamented. “Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.”"The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home," she lamented. "Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos.""The Trump administration is using fear and intimidation tactics to discourage eligible people from applying for citizenship and prevent families from fully putting down roots in this nation they call home," she lamented. "Expelling people at the end of their legal immigration process, on what should be a joyous occasion, is a cruelty that adds to the chaos."