Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar called on the Trump administration to resume citizenship and naturalization processes, noting that thousands of Cuban and Venezuelan immigrants remain in legal limbo.
"They did everything right and they deserve the chance to finally become Americans," Florida Republican Maria Elvira Salazar wrote on X.
I just sent a letter to @SecMullinDHS urging the Department to resume citizenship processing and naturalization ceremonies while maintaining strong security vetting.
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) March 31, 2026
In South Florida, tens of thousands of applicants, many Cuban and Venezuelan, remain in limbo despite having... pic.twitter.com/MyHfQCy3XQ
Under Kristi Noem, the Department of Homeland Security took steps to pause and evaluate legal avenues for immigration, NPR reported. In January of this year, DHS expanded the list of countries impacted to 39. Among those countries were Cuba and Venezuela.
In a memo, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services stated that it "remains dedicated to ensuring aliens from high-risk countries of concern who have entered the United States do not pose risks to national security or public safety. To faithfully uphold United States immigration law, the flow of aliens from countries with high overstay rates, significant fraud, or both must stop."
Noem was fired in early March. President Trump appointed U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin as her replacement.
Now in the letter, Salazar asks Mullin to reverse the policy of his predecessor while keeping the enhanced security screening that has been put into place. She asked for Mullin restart immigration benefits and naturalization processing and resume naturalization ceremonies that have been halted.
"These are individuals who fled persecution and violence, followed the law, and have already been thoroughly vetted," Salazar wrote. "They have earned the right to become citizens, and we can uphold strong security measures without delaying that process. With our nation's 250th anniversary approaching, there is no better way to honor our founding than by welcoming new citizens and allowing them to take the oath that makes them Americans."
