By Ted Chiappari, Alejandra Vargas, Isabella Castellón Lebrón and Guilherme Massetti
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently issued a series of changes in policy and practice that could make it significantly harder for some people to acquire U.S. citizenship and lengthen the processing times for all applicants. While there have only been isolated anecdotal reports of changes so far in how naturalization interviews are being conducted, we expect more noticeable changes in the coming months. Similarly, on August 19, 2025, USCIS announced updates to its policy manual expanding officers’ discretionary authority for certain immigration benefits requests, directing them to give “significant negative discretionary weight” for “anti-American” ideologies or activities.
Read the full Alert on the Duane Morris website.