Feds Cut Funding That Helps Legal Immigrants Gain U.S. Citizenship

(MASSACHUSETTS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially terminated federal support for citizenship-assistance programs, confirming a permanent funding cut that hit the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition on April 14, 2025. The decision removed $300,000 previously awarded to the MIRA Coalition to help lawful permanent residents apply for naturalization, affecting hundreds of longtime Green Card holders across the state who relied on free clinics and legal workshops to complete their applications.

The funding freeze was signaled earlier in 2025, but advocates hoped it would be reversed. Instead, USCIS notified the MIRA Coalition in mid-April that the cut was final. The organization’s executive director, Elizabeth Sweet, called the move a betrayal of the American promise to immigrants who work, pay taxes, and seek a full civic voice through citizenship. For many residents, naturalization is the bridge to voting, jury service, and the security that comes from becoming a citizen of the United States 🇺🇸.

The change lands amid a wider shift in federal immigration budgets. Advocates point out that recent federal spending has raised funds for detention and deportation at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while money for immigration processing and legal aid has fallen. USCIS, which is primarily fee-funded, has faced staffing cuts and revenue shortfalls since the early 2020s. Those pressures have fueled record case backlogs and slower processing, including for naturalization.

Policy context and reactions

In May 2025, a bipartisan group of 113 members of Congress urged lawmakers to add $700 million in discretionary funding for USCIS. Their letter said the agency needs help to tackle historic backlogs and severe staffing shortages tied to earlier budget cuts. Without that boost, officers struggle to keep pace with interviews, biometrics, and oath ceremonies.

Immigrant advocates and several lawmakers argue that slashing support for citizenship programs undercuts integration and the rule of law, since naturalization cements full participation in civic life. They note that research does not support claims linking immigration to higher crime. Supporters of the enforcement-heavy approach counter that resources should target border control and public safety first.

The roots of today’s policy landscape trace back to actions begun under President Trump, including funding freezes and expanded enforcement. While some policies have changed, budget choices in 2025 continue to leave processing systems strained. USCIS’s finances have been unstable since the pandemic reduced fee revenue, prompting hiring freezes and staff reductions that still affect service delivery.

In Massachusetts, the MIRA Coalition has long served as a front-line provider for citizenship help, from application prep to test readiness. Losing the federal grant means fewer workshops, fewer one-on-one consultations, and less outreach to eligible residents. According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, cuts of this kind typically force nonprofits to scale back free or low-cost naturalization services, leaving many on their own to complete complex forms and prepare for interviews.

Important: The formal notice arrived on April 14, 2025, and the $300,000 award is no longer available. This cut stands as of mid-2025.

Practical impact on naturalization in Massachusetts

The immediate effect is less access to trusted, low-cost help. Community groups that once guided applicants through forms, fee waivers, and test study now face tough choices about which services to keep. Applicants who can’t afford private counsel must weigh the risk of filing alone, delaying their applications, or dropping their plans altogether.

Longer waits are another outcome. USCIS staffing issues mean more rescheduling and slower movement from one step to the next. That includes biometrics appointments, interviews, and oath ceremonies. People who have lived here for years—often decades—now face extra months of uncertainty before they can vote or sponsor relatives as U.S. citizens.

Families also face added strain from 2025 laws that restrict health coverage and other benefits for many lawfully present immigrants. Combined with lost legal aid, those changes can push households to postpone naturalization even when they qualify.

How the standard process is affected

• Application preparation: Many applicants depend on nonprofit guidance to complete Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization). With the MIRA Coalition’s grant gone, fewer clinics and workshops are available. Official form and filing details are here: https://www.uscis.gov/n-400
• Filing and fees: USCIS’s fee-funded operations remain under pressure, which can slow intake and initial reviews.
• Biometrics: Fingerprinting and background checks may be delayed if local offices have limited staffing.
• Interview and test: Reduced officer capacity can stretch wait times and force last-minute rescheduling.
• Oath ceremony: Backlogs in earlier steps push ceremonies further out, delaying the moment applicants become citizens.

Human and community consequences

• Adults who have passed practice tests may lose confidence without a counselor to review their file.
• Elders eligible for language exemptions might drop out if no one can confirm the rules.
• Working parents who need evening workshops may no longer find a slot.
• Even a few months’ delay can mean missing a local election or waiting longer to reunite with family.

Advocates stress that this is not only a legal-services story—it is a community story. Naturalized citizens tend to secure better jobs and higher wages, vote at high rates, and form long-term ties to local institutions. Pulling federal support from citizenship preparation makes it harder for neighbors who already meet the law’s standards to take the final step.

What’s next and resources

What happens next depends on Congress and agency budgets. Lawmakers who back the USCIS request for $700 million in appropriations could try to restore capacity in the next fiscal year. Past attempts to freeze funding for immigrant services have drawn court challenges, but as of mid-2025, this particular cut to citizenship support stands. The federal focus on enforcement and detention infrastructure continues, which keeps pressure on legal-aid providers and the applicants they serve.

For residents moving forward on their own, official guidance is still available. USCIS maintains a comprehensive Citizenship Resource Center at https://www.uscis.gov/citizenship with study tools, eligibility rules, and processing updates.

Applicants in Massachusetts who previously worked with the MIRA Coalition can contact the group for media or referral information:
– Alex Psilakis — [email protected]

Constituents may also reach out to their congressional representatives to ask about funding and case backlogs.

Final note

USCIS has confirmed what many feared at the start of the year: the MIRA Coalition’s federal citizenship grant is gone. The formal notice arrived on April 14, 2025, and the $300,000 award is no longer available. For Green Card holders ready to apply, that single decision means fewer counselors at the table, fewer clinics in church halls and libraries, and fewer lifelines when questions arise about documents, fee waivers, or interview prep.

Even so, the path to citizenship remains open. Applicants who meet the legal requirements can still file the N-400, prepare for the interview and civics test, and, when approved, attend the oath ceremony. The test is passable with steady study, and many residents will succeed without help. Yet the loss of funded community support will make the journey slower and harder for many—especially those with language barriers, tight budgets, or complex histories.

For now, Massachusetts service providers are adapting to a leaner landscape, triaging cases and seeking private donations to cover the gap. Whether federal support returns in FY26 will shape how quickly the state’s lawful permanent residents can finish the process and take the oath—turning contribution into citizenship, and promise into a passport.