Currently,
The immigration court backlog: 1.6 million cases
USCIS case backlog: 9.5 million
Waits for in-person consular interviews for immigrant visas: 532,000+
Result: vulnerable migrants in limbo for unforeseeable future.
Consequence: legal work permits unavailable
The situation worsened during the pandemic. USCIS suspended in-person services from March 17 to June 4, 2020, cancelling hundreds of thousands of biometrics appointments and preventing grants of green cards and naturalizations, which require in-person interviews. Even after resuming operations, social distancing practices slowed adjudications. New applications increased sharply in FY 2021, and by the end of the fiscal year USCIS had adjudicated 1.8 million fewer applications than it received.
HRI’s Social Services served 1535 clients last year, and we have witnessed a first-hand account of the fiscal crisis the backlog has caused. Our already vulnerable clients are stretched in a vicious situation where rent and necessities are at peril. BUT YOU CAN HELP! Click here to support these clients.
#Advocate #Donate #Educate #SocialServices #ImmigrantRightsAreHumanRights
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Author Maryam Baig
