US citizenship application gathering dust: Taiwanese Green Card holder sues Trump administration for making him wait around 18 months

Meng Ju Liu, a Taiwanese Green Card holder living in Ohio and waiting for his US citizenship, has now sued the Trump administration over delays, saying that his application has been gathering dust on an office shelf and he has been waiting for an eternity for his citizenship. Newsweek reported that Liu filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on October 15, seeking to compel federal officials to complete the processing of his naturalization application.Liu became a Green Card holder in 2002 and he applied for citizenship in April 2025, the report said.Liu has waited around 18 months for his application to progress and has not been called for a naturalization interview, according to court filings. It alleged that USCIS' published processing time for N-400 applications in Cincinnati was 9 1/2 months for 80 percent of cases to be completed. Liu argued that federal officials have failed to process his application within a reasonable period and have not provided a reason for the delay."My decision to apply for US citizenship is driven by the needs of my food import and export business. I sell rice produced in Kansas state to overseas markets, and I believe becoming a US citizen would help me more effectively represent and promote the quality of American agricultural products," Liu told Newsweek."My work also requires me to travel abroad to evaluate contract manufacturers that produce goods for export to the United States. I believe US citizenship and a U.S. passport would provide me with greater security and peace of mind when traveling internationally."A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Newsweek on Friday, “United States citizenship is a privilege. It should not be a cakewalk to obtain, and we are certainly not going to give it away. USCIS is working to overhaul the test and the entire process to strive towards maximum adherence with the letter and spirit of the law. Naturalization allows aliens to become fully vested members of American society, with important rights and responsibilities that all citizens should exercise and respect. US citizenship is the most meaningful status the US government can bestow, and we are committed to ensuring the integrity of the naturalization process."Immigration attorney Kevin J Andrews noted that the case came at a time when the Department of Homeland Security claimed that naturalizations are down 75%."USCIS posts a processing time of 9.5 months for 80 percent of N-400s in Cincinnati. In May 2025, the agency told him it would reuse fingerprints already on file and run the same security checks on them. As of May 2, 2026, his case status still read as processing. He asks the court to order the checks finished within 30 days and, if he clears them, naturalization within 30 days after that. The most common result of filing a Mandamus lawsuit is an interview notice. The agency often acts before its answer is due, and the case is dismissed as moot. Courts weigh delay differently from district to district. Eighteen months against a posted 9.5 months definitely checks the box," Andrews said.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.