Established Fact
On December 15, 2025 at the federal courthouse in Detroit, MI, partisan organizations such as the League of Women Voters (LWV), Fems for Democracy (affiliated with Dems for Democracy PAC), and Promise for Change were conducting voter registration activities. Such activities place private partisan advocacy organizations in contact with newly naturalized citizens at government-conducted civic events and is in conflict with the USCIS policy in effect at that time. NGO’s such as these have conducted voter registration activities at USCIS administrative naturalization ceremonies in federal facilities under prior administrations. On August 29, 2025, USCIS issued a policy memo barring all third-party NGOs from participating in naturalization ceremonies, limiting voter registration services to state and local election officials. LWV characterized the ban as “an attempt to… suppress voter registration” and filed suit against USCIS in November 2025, with the Campaign Legal Center arguing the ban violates the APA and the First Amendment. The case was pending in U.S. District Court as of the date of this report.
Citations
The League of Women Voters (LWV) and other voter advocacy NGOs conducted voter registration activities at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) administrative naturalization ceremonies, operating under a partnership that gave private organizations access to newly naturalized citizens at government-conducted civic events. This practice was authorized by USCIS under prior administrations.
On August 29, 2025, the Trump administration’s USCIS issued a policy memo barring all third-party NGOs — including LWV — from participating in administrative naturalization ceremonies, limiting voter registration services to state and local election officials only. USCIS cited concerns about the partisan character of NGO voter registration activities at government events.
LWV characterized the USCIS ban as “an attempt to… suppress voter registration.” LWV subsequently filed suit against USCIS in November 2025 (represented by the Campaign Legal Center), arguing the ban violates the Administrative Procedure Act and the First Amendment. The case was pending in U.S. District Court as of the date of this report.
FOIA request for surveillance video pertaining to December 15, 2025 USCIS event has been denied due to “Privacy Act” concerns.