Our recently filed complaint against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), highlighting significant delays in the processing of waivers for green cards, has garnered attention in a Law360.com article. The article sheds light on our efforts to ameliorate migrants’ plight and the potential consequences for family unity.
According to the article from Law360.com, a group of plaintiffs from Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Peru has filed a complaint against the U.S. federal government, accusing them of causing significant delays in the processing of waivers required to secure their green cards. These delays have created a bureaucratic nightmare, leaving them unable to work, plan for their future, and causing concerns about potential family separations. Let’s delve into the details of this case and explore its implications.
As reported in Law360.com, a total of seven plaintiffs, who are beneficiaries of approved immigrant visa petitions, have accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) of subjecting them to prolonged delays. They argue that the processing time for the necessary waivers, which used to take a maximum of five months, has now stretched to approximately three years. This extended processing time not only hampers their ability to work but also keeps them in a state of uncertainty about their future in the United States.
They contend that USCIS’s delays have serious implications for family unity, as highlighted in the Law360.com article. They emphasize that these prolonged processing times disrupt their lives and potentially separate them from their U.S. citizen spouses and children. The fear of family separation adds to the distress and uncertainty faced by migrants, who have established lives spanning decades in the United States.
The Law360.com article reveals that one of the major concerns raised by the plaintiffs is the shifting priorities of USCIS. They point out that USCIS Director Ur Mendoza Jaddou acknowledged in February 2022 that the processing times were excessively long, lending credibility to their claims. They argue that these delays contradict USCIS’s historical emphasis on family unity and hinder their opportunity to become U.S. lawful permanent residents.
The article highlights that this recent complaint echoes a previous case filed in January by a different group of plaintiffs as a class action suit. Both matters point out that USCIS is taking significantly longer to process provisional unlawful presence waivers. For instance, the Nebraska Service Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, previously processed waiver applications within 4.5 months but now takes an average of 2.8 years.
As this case unfolds, it serves as a reminder of the pressing need for comprehensive immigration reform to ensure a fair and efficient process for all individuals seeking lawful permanent residence in the United States.
Read the USADefend LLC Press Release.
Source: Law360.com. ‘Migrants Say Processing Times Increased ‘600%’ For Waivers’ https://www.law360.com/immigration/articles/1684348/migrants-say-processing-times-increased-600-for-waivers
