Columnist’s husband gets Obama letter in paperwork for new US citizens

New United States citizens participating in naturalization ceremonies around the country have typically received letters from the current president when taking their oaths of allegiance. 

But on Friday, a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said she noticed that the name signed on her British-born husband’s letter from the president wasn’t that of President Trump. Rather, it was his predecessor Barack Obama.

“My British-born husband takes his oath of citizenship today,” Aisha Sultan wrote on Twitter. “In the packet for new Americans, the welcome letter from POTUS is from Obama.”

My British-born husband takes his oath of citizenship today. In the packet for new Americans, the welcome letter from POTUS is from Obama. pic.twitter.com/O56cMj0hhx

— Aisha Sultan (@AishaS) July 14, 2017

{mosads}

The letters are typically produced by new administrations and distributed to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices throughout the country. 

But Maria Elena Upson, a spokeswoman for the agency, told the Arizona Republic in a statement last month that that producing a new letter and presidential video message for new citizens usually takes months. 

She also specified that new citizens do not receive the congratulatory letters before the new administration distributes them.

“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,” she said. “During this interim period, USCIS does not provide a congratulatory letter or show a video message.”