Krishnamoorthi and Subramanyam Lead Lawmakers Demanding Answers on Reported USCIS Adjudication Holds Affecting Immigration Cases

WASHINGTON - Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) led 21 House colleagues on Wednesday in sending a letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow and FBI Director Kash Patel raising concerns about reports that USCIS has instituted broad adjudication holds tied to new "enhanced security checks" for immigration benefit applicants, potentially affecting millions of pending cases.

In the letter, the lawmakers warned that the reported policy could significantly worsen an already historic immigration backlog and leave applicants waiting indefinitely for decisions affecting their ability to work, travel, and remain lawfully 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.

The lawmakers requested detailed information about the scope of the reported holds, including how many cases are affected, what categories of immigration benefits are impacted, how long delays are expected to last, and whether USCIS and the FBI have the capacity to process expanded background checks without creating further backlogs.

The letter also raises concerns about whether applicants are being notified that their cases have been paused, how USCIS intends to comply with statutory processing requirements, and whether premium processing fees will be refunded in cases where guaranteed timelines are missed because of the reported holds.

"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.

In addition to Krishnamoorthi and Subramanyam, the letter was signed by Representatives Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Delia C. Ramirez (D-IL), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Dan Goldman (D-NY), Deborah Ross (D-NC), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Darren Soto (D-FL), Valerie Foushee (D-NC), Adam Smith (D-WA), James Walkinshaw (D-VA), Jesús G. "Chuy" García (D-IL), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Becca Balint (D-VT), Jennifer McClellan (D-VA), Dina Titus (D-NV), Donald Beyer (D-VA), André Carson (D-IN), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), and Judy Chu (D-CA).

The text of the letter is available here.