Krishnamoorthi, Subramanyam Lead Lawmakers in Seeking Answers on Reported USCIS Adjudication Holds

Indian American lawmakers Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Congressman Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA) led 21 House colleagues in sending a letter on June 3 to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Joseph Edlow and FBI Director Kash Patel, expressing concerns over reports that USCIS has implemented “broad adjudication holds” linked to new “enhanced security checks” for applicants seeking immigration benefits.

According to a statement from Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s office, the lawmakers cautioned that the reported policy could significantly exacerbate an already substantial immigration backlog, potentially leaving millions of applicants waiting indefinitely for decisions that affect 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 regarding the reported adjudication holds, including the number of cases affected, the categories of immigration benefits impacted, the anticipated duration of delays, and whether USCIS and the FBI possess sufficient resources to conduct expanded background checks without creating additional backlogs.

According to the statement, the letter also raises concerns about whether applicants are being informed that their cases have been paused, how USCIS intends to meet statutory processing requirements, and whether premium processing fees will be refunded when guaranteed processing 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). 

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