On December 7th, 2025, Congressman Pat Ryan from New York State sent a letter to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requesting a detailed explanation of the current status of naturalization ceremonies in his district by December 12th, 2025.
He is seeking clarification from the immigration agency on whether the naturalization ceremonies in Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange counties in upstate New York have been postponed or completely canceled. If postponed, when will the ceremonies resume? Will the ceremonies be consolidated?
Ryan also asked USCIS to confirm that the suspension and/or cancellation of ceremonies will not affect individuals’ legal status and eligibility for naturalization.
Earlier, the clerks of Dutchess and Ulster counties indicated that they received notification from USCIS on December 1st stating that the naturalization ceremonies scheduled at the end of the year have been canceled due to “not meeting statutory requirements.”
The notice was issued by Gwynne Dinolfo, Director of the USCIS Albany office. USCIS explained that if the number of applicants for naturalization is fewer than 50, they are unable to deploy officers for the ceremony and asked for rescheduling once the applicant numbers increase.
Taylor Bruck, the clerk of Dutchess County, expressed dissatisfaction with the cancellation of the ceremonies by the immigration agency. He added that after expediting background checks, the county had increased the list of eligible citizens from 25 to 40.
Bradford Kendall, the clerk of Ulster County, stated that USCIS’s sudden reversal “disrespects the immigrants who have waited for many years.”
It is reported that the naturalization ceremony in Orange County takes place in the state capital of Albany.
Immigration lawyers speculate that this action is related to the federal government shutdown in October and the ongoing budget constraints of USCIS. The agency heavily relies on fee revenues, and ceremony travel expenses involve overtime pay for adjudicating officers.
Media reports in upstate New York suggest that smaller jurisdictions may see more instances of combined naturalization ceremonies in the future or a shift towards administrative swearing-in at USCIS offices, likely more frequently held in New York City or Albany.