U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ur Jaddou held a virtual briefing with national stakeholders on Feb. 2 — the one-year anniversary of several immigration-focused executive orders — to detail the agency's efforts in fulfilling the orders.
The Biden administration issued four executive orders as well as a presidential memorandum focusing on immigration last February. The virtual briefing gave particular focus to the executive order titled Restoring Faith in Our Legal Immigration Systems and Strengthening Integration and Inclusion Efforts for New Americans. In the order, the federal government commits to reviewing existing regulations, orders, guidance documents, policies and other agency actions.
"We hear you. We know those seeking our services need and deserve this commitment. We will continue working together to solidify our progress for the good of the nation," said Jaddou in the briefing. "As a daughter of immigrants, I'm humbled to be the first woman and first Mexican-American and Chaldean-American to serve as USCIS director. Thanks to my family and personal experience, I know very well that naturalization, and so many other immigration benefits, are critical to those who seek them."
The USCIS accepted 855,000 immigrants in the past year and decreased the naturalization queue by 20%, Jaddou said. While Jaddou is pleased at the progress, she said there is still more work to do.
