Naturalization Delays Add to Election-Year Voting Concerns
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services made decisions on pending naturalization applications at a sharply slower pace this year. Available figures show decisions down about 75 percent from last year, while denials rose: about 18 percent of applications were denied in the third quarter of 2026, compared with 9 percent in the same period a year earlier. Average waits, now more than twice as long, exceed a year, and naturalizations have fallen by roughly 50,000 a month compared with the prior two years.
The delays mean hundreds of thousands of people who might otherwise have become citizens before the midterms are still waiting or contesting denials. League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart warned that eligible immigrants could be kept from becoming citizens in time to vote. USCIS has not publicly acknowledged a rumored White House cap on naturalizations. Administrative decisions are generally not reviewable in federal court, leaving applicants with limited options before an election passes.
The delays come amid broader federal efforts involving election administration. The Justice Department has sought voter rolls and pursued actions involving state election procedures, while courts have blocked some of the administration’s efforts. In California, a judge rejected its request to sequester ballots associated with about 20,000 voters it claimed were noncitizens; an appeal was also denied. A group’s review of the names found that more than 40 percent did not appear in current state voter files. Election experts said the legal actions could fuel doubts about election results, while the Justice Department said it follows the facts and the law. State and local officials administer elections.
Naturalization Delays Threaten a Fair Chance to Vote
The administration’s election agenda is not limited to voter-roll demands and lawsuits. Naturalization decisions have fallen about 75 percent this year, denials have doubled proportionally from the third quarter of last year, and average waits now exceed a year. That leaves hundreds of thousands of would-be citizens without a decision in time to participate in the midterms.
League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart warned that delays may prevent eligible immigrants from becoming citizens in time to vote. A rumored White House cap on naturalizations has not been publicly acknowledged by USCIS, but the reported slowdown and rising denial rate are already creating barriers. Applicants generally cannot turn to federal courts to challenge administrative decisions before an election passes.
At the same time, the Justice Department has sought voter data and pursued state election procedures. A California judge rejected its bid to sequester ballots tied to about 20,000 people the department claimed were noncitizens, and an appeal was denied. A review found more than 40 percent of the names were absent from current state voter files. The administration’s claims about noncitizen voting have not held up in the cited cases; using them to justify election pressure while citizenship applicants wait risks undermining participation and trust.
Courts Block Election Oversight as Citizenship Delays Draw Scrutiny
As the midterms approach, the administration’s efforts to address election rules and voter eligibility are running into court resistance. The Justice Department has sought voter rolls and challenged state procedures, but a California judge rejected its request to sequester ballots linked to about 20,000 people it said were noncitizens. The appeal was denied, and a review found that more than 40 percent of the names were not in current state voter files.
The Justice Department says it is following facts and law. Election experts warn that disputes and lawsuits could be used to cast doubt on results, while federal courts have blocked multiple administration efforts involving voter rolls and executive orders. State and local officials, not the federal government, run elections.
Naturalization processing has also slowed: decisions are down about 75 percent this year, average waits, now more than twice as long, exceed a year, and third-quarter denials rose to about 18 percent from 9 percent a year earlier. Those figures raise concerns about applicants missing the chance to vote, as League of Women Voters CEO Celina Stewart noted. Yet the separate election disputes should be judged on their facts and legal merits, rather than treated as proof that efforts to enforce election rules are inherently improper.
Reported by The New Republic, Wired.
