Green Card Holder Sues Over Naturalization Taking 'an Eternity'
A green card holder is suing the Trump administration, saying his citizenship application has been “gathering dust” for 18 months.
A Taiwanese resident living in Ohio filed a lawsuit in October against the Trump administration, alleging that his naturalization application progress has been painfully slow, potentially leading to a lifetime wait. Meng Ju Liu, also known as Michael Liu, has been a permanent resident since 2002 and filed for naturalization on April 25, 2025.
However, he has yet to receive a naturalization interview or any update on his application, which, according to court documents, has been stuck for over 18 months. The lawsuit claims that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) processing time for similar cases in Liu's region is only 9.5 months. Liu argues that the federal government's delay in processing his citizenship application is unreasonable and has not provided a satisfactory explanation for the hold-up.
The lawsuit questions the extent of time federal agencies can take before a delay becomes legally unjustifiable. Federal law allows applicants whose citizenship cases remain unresolved for over 120 days after their naturalization examination to seek intervention from a federal district court. In June, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposed raising the fees for U.S. naturalization applications, which could increase the cost of filing for citizenship by up to 80%.
The proposal would eliminate reduced-fee options for eligible lower-income applicants and fee waivers for naturalization applications and related appeals. DHS stated that the proposed changes are aimed at ensuring applicants cover the full cost of processing their cases. Liu is seeking a federal court order to expedite his naturalization process.
He is asking the court to compel federal officials to complete his background and security checks within 30 days and naturalize him within 30 days after their completion. Liu is also seeking court costs and fees. The lawsuit raises concerns about the federal government's ability to process naturalization applications within a reasonable timeframe, especially in light of the administration's recent push for denaturalization cases.
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