Trump White House Flub: New Citizen ‘Welcome’ Letters Still Bear Obama’s Signature, Packets Not Updated Yet
New American citizens-to-be recently received confusing information from the Trump White House. President Obama is no longer commander in chief. However, due to an alleged White House flub, naturalized citizens received letters bearing Barack’s signature – not Donald Trump’s — as if he is still the POTUS.
Donald Trump’s White House is in hot water again, according to a report by the Hill. Aisha Sultan works with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and is wed to a British-born man who recently completed the naturalization process in America.
Recently, the sharp-eyed journalist noticed something unusual in her husband’s welcome package from the White House. Inside the mailer was a congratulatory letter signed — not by President Donald Trump – with Barack Obama’s signature. She shared a message on Twitter about the peculiar discovery.
“My British-born husband takes his oath of citizenship today. In the packet for new Americans, the welcome letter from POTUS is from Obama.”
To put the latest White House controversy in context, naturalization ceremonies usually take place around the country and successful immigrants celebrate the milestone of citizenship in the United States, simultaneously. The process that is overseen by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (or USCIS) — an arm of the Department of Homeland Security — is an arduous one that involves the element of time, among other factors.
Assuming you’ve obtained a green card, adhered to residency requirements, passed a rigorous FBI background check, demonstrated “moral” character and paid all applicable fees, you’re nearly set to take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States, according to AllLaw. Prior to that, the White House sends out letters of notice signed by the sitting president – in this case, Trump. The letters are included in the invitation package.
Some welcome letters to new U.S. citizens still have Barack Obama as sitting president. https://t.co/jQanqoj85f pic.twitter.com/Jp39zqO5fG
— Complex (@Complex) July 16, 2017
Gillian Christensen, the USCIS Press Secretary, said the letters from the White House that carried Obama’s signature were the result of an oversight. In the ordinary scope of business, incoming presidential administrations typically create new welcome letters for new citizens. Apparently, an administrative error led to the faulty distribution. Take a look at the letter posted on Twitter.
America,
It has been over 6 months since Trump is president
They still hand out @BarackObama naturalization thank you letters.
Via @AishaS pic.twitter.com/CVoEser8hS— ALT-immigration (@ALT_uscis) July 15, 2017
Maria Elena Upson, a spokesperson for the agency, says the process to format new letters with the successor president’s stamp often spans several months. Moreover, recipients don’t often receive the complete package until new letters are signed and the White House deals them out to the appropriate agencies for mailing.
“Following a change in administrations, it typically takes several months for a new letter and video message to be produced and distributed to USCIS field offices,” Upson added.
This latest incident is yet another controversy casting a shadow over the Trump administration. The U.S. president is enamored in a political scandal playing out in the media almost daily. At the center of the White House storm are rumors the president’s campaign colluded with the Russian government during the 2016 Elections to provide “dirt” on Hillary Clinton.
Recently, Donald Trump, Jr. released an email chain after the New York Times stated it discovered questionable communication between the president’s son and a Russian lawyer. The Times alleges that Trump, Jr. got ahead of the story when media sources contacted it for a comment before releasing its story on the latest bombshell.
Donald Trump Jr. tweets email chain that he says is about his meeting with a Russian lawyer. https://t.co/QRfsSBBANb pic.twitter.com/BOR02FCufd
— CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) July 11, 2017
Trump’s White House has maintained a contentious relationship with the media dating back to his campaign. President Trump blasted efforts to smear his son’s intentions during the meeting at Trump Tower. The POTUS took to social media and referred to the “fake news media” for its role in the email scandal.
Trump recently scored a partial victory when the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a portion of his immigration travel ban to commence, temporarily. The High Court is set to hear full arguments in October.
Altogether, the White House distributed some 200 congratulatory letters with President Barack Obama’s signature.
[Featured Image by Win McNamee/Getty Images]
