Democrats Look to Block Trump Administration From Closing Overseas Citizenship Services Offices

A group of House Democrats is moving swiftly in an attempt to block the Trump administration from proceeding with its plans to close citizenship services offices located overseas. Reps. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., and Chuy Garcia, D-Ill., are circulating a letter to their colleagues in hopes of legislatively prohibiting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from closing its two-dozen offices located across 22 countries. The closures first came to light this week after USCIS Director L. Francis Cissna informed staff of the agency’s plans. USCIS sought to downplay the impact of the decision, saying the closures would only shift resources around. Jessica Collins, an agency spokeswoman, said USCIS will work closely with the departments of Homeland Security and State “to coordinate necessary interagency agreements to ensure no interruption in the provision of immigration services to affected applicants and petitioners.”