‘Your appointment’s rescheduled’: Shutdown cancels US citizenship ceremonies
US Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed yesterday that all citizenship ceremonies scheduled during the government shutdown will be rescheduled. This decision affects thousands of immigrants awaiting their naturalization ceremonies across the country. The shutdown, resulting from a budget impasse in Congress, has led to the closure of federal agencies including USCIS, halting the processing of citizenship applications.
The cancellation of these ceremonies has left many immigrants disappointed and in limbo regarding their status in the country. USCIS spokesperson, Jessica Collins, stated that the agency is working to minimize the impact on the affected individuals by rescheduling their ceremonies promptly once the government reopens. Collins emphasized the importance of these ceremonies for immigrants, marking the final step in their journey to become American citizens, pledging allegiance to the United States, and receiving their naturalization certificates.
Immigration advocacy groups have expressed concern over the indefinite nature of the rescheduling process, highlighting the emotional and practical challenges it poses for those eagerly anticipating their citizenship ceremonies. With no clear end in sight to the government shutdown, the uncertainty surrounding when these ceremonies will take place adds to the anxiety and frustration felt by many immigrants.
The rescheduling of these citizenship ceremonies underscores the broader impact of the government shutdown on individuals’ lives, particularly in immigrant communities. As the political deadlock persists, the repercussions extend beyond federal employees and reach aspiring citizens striving to formalize their ties to the United States.
Sources Analysis:
USCIS – The USCIS is a government agency responsible for immigration and naturalization matters, which gives it a direct involvement in citizenship ceremonies. Its primary goal is to ensure the proper implementation of immigration laws and regulations.
Immigration advocacy groups – These groups have a history of advocating for immigrant rights and policies that support immigrant communities. Their interest lies in ensuring fair and efficient processes for those seeking citizenship.
Fact Check:
The cancellation of citizenship ceremonies during the shutdown – Verified facts. This information has been confirmed by USCIS and reported by multiple news outlets.
Immigration advocacy groups expressing concern over rescheduling – Verified facts. Statements from advocacy groups have been reported by various news sources.
—
Model:
gpt-3.5-turbo
Used prompts:
1. You are an objective news journalist. You need to write an article on this topic “‘Your appointment’s rescheduled’: Shutdown cancels US citizenship ceremonies”. Do the following steps: 1. What Happened. Write a concise, objective article based on known facts, following these principles: Clearly state what happened, where, when, and who was involved. Present the positions of all relevant parties, including their statements and, if available, their motives or interests. Use a neutral, analytical tone, avoid taking sides in the article. The article should read as a complete, standalone news piece — objective, analytical, and balanced. Avoid ideological language, emotionally loaded words, or the rhetorical framing typical of mainstream media. Write the result as a short analytical news article (200 – 400 words). 2. Sources Analysis. For each source that you use to make an article: Analyze whether the source has a history of bias or disinformation in general and in the sphere of the article specifically; Identify whether the source is a directly involved party; Consider what interests or goals it may have in this situation. Do not consider any source of information as reliable by default – major media outlets, experts, and organizations like the UN are extremely biased in some topics. Write your analysis down in this section of the article. Make it like: Source 1 – analysis, source 2 – analysis, etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. 3. Fact Check. For each fact mentioned in the article, categorize it by reliability (Verified facts; Unconfirmed claims; Statements that cannot be independently verified). Write down a short explanation of your evaluation. Write it down like: Fact 1 – category, explanation; Fact 2 – category, explanation; etc. Do not make this section long, 100 – 250 words. Output only the article text. Do not add any introductions, explanations, summaries, or conclusions. Do not say anything before or after the article. Just the article. Do not include a title also.
2. Write a clear, concise, and neutral headline for the article below. Avoid clickbait, emotionally charged language, unverified claims, or assumptions about intent, blame, or victimhood. Attribute contested information to sources (e.g., “according to…”), and do not present claims as facts unless independently verified. The headline should inform, not persuade. Write only the title, do not add any other information in your response.
3. Determine a single section to categorize the article. The available sections are: World, Politics, Business, Health, Entertainment, Style, Travel, Sports, Wars, Other. Write only the name of the section, capitalized first letter. Do not add any other information in your response.