Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Texas, has urged Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to prioritize the processing of religious worker visa applications, saying delays are affecting faith leaders in Texas and the communities they serve.
In a letter to Mullin, De La Cruz asked the Department of Homeland Security to use all available resources to reduce processing times for religious worker visas. She said churches and faith-based institutions depend on religious workers to provide services to congregations and local communities.
“I write to urge the prioritization of religious worker visa applications,” De La Cruz wrote. “Churches and faith-based institutions serve as the foundation for our communities, and our religious leaders as an extension of our families.”
De La Cruz noted that the U.S. immigration system allows individuals in religious vocations to serve in the United States through R-1 religious worker visas.
She also referred to an immigration policy change made by the Trump administration in January 2026 that removed the previous one-year foreign residency requirement for certain R-1 workers. According to the letter, the change allows religious workers who have reached the five-year maximum period of stay to seek readmission without completing a mandatory one-year period outside the United States.
While acknowledging that action, De La Cruz said additional steps are needed to reduce application processing times.
“While we commend the actions taken to speed up the immigration process for our religious workers, I urge you to prioritize reducing the processing times for religious worker visa applications, which U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) data states have processing times of 8.5 and 11.5 months, respectively, depending on the applicant type,” she wrote.
De La Cruz said the delays affect congregations that rely on religious leaders for both spiritual guidance and community services.
“These processing delays are felt throughout our communities, who rely on our religious leaders for vital religious and community services,” she wrote. “I urge you to use your available resources to reduce the processing timelines and stand ready to assist you in any way necessary.”
In closing, De La Cruz thanked Mullin for his work and expressed support for an immigration system that protects religious freedom while maintaining legal certainty.
“Thank you for your continued efforts to safeguard our country and support the diverse faith communities that enrich our society,” she wrote. “I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that our immigration system functions in a way that strengthens religious freedom, supports the rule of law, and provides certainty for the communities we serve.”
In addition to sending the letter, De La Cruz co-sponsored the bipartisan Religious Worker Protection Act. According to her office, the legislation would authorize DHS to extend nonimmigrant religious worker, or R-1, status until an individual’s application for permanent residence is finalized.
Read the full letter here or below:
