Just met with my Senator

[Billious 32]

I'm an August 2012 filer (NOA1 September 11), and I've been working with Senator Baldwin's office to see what can be done about the current slowdown at CSC. Her staffer for Immigration matters has been excellent and very responsive, but I wanted to push for more than my personal case. We need our representatives putting pressure on USCIS to realign it's priorities, not just pull individual files and get them pushed through.

Tonight Senator Baldwin (Wisconsin) had a fundraiser here in Madison, so I showed up, waited patiently, and when I had the time, spent a few minutes bending her ear about what's going on. I got the impression that she was already familiar with the problems at CSC, and that she was putting her weight behind the issue. Baldwin's a pretty cool Senator in that she has a long record (as a US Representative and in our State legislature) of really fighting the good fight for her Constituents.

So here's hoping we can get some results out of USCIS and see all of our petitions move forward! Good luck to all of you out there missing your loved ones.

[Ronn63 41]

It's a hopeful sign that the powers that be haven't abandoned us. I have contacted both senators and my congressman as well. Let's hope!!

[I & B 273]

I'm an August 2012 filer (NOA1 September 11), and I've been working with Senator Baldwin's office to see what can be done about the current slowdown at CSC. Her staffer for Immigration matters has been excellent and very responsive, but I wanted to push for more than my personal case. We need our representatives putting pressure on USCIS to realign it's priorities, not just pull individual files and get them pushed through.

Tonight Senator Baldwin (Wisconsin) had a fundraiser here in Madison, so I showed up, waited patiently, and when I had the time, spent a few minutes bending her ear about what's going on. I got the impression that she was already familiar with the problems at CSC, and that she was putting her weight behind the issue. Baldwin's a pretty cool Senator in that she has a long record (as a US Representative and in our State legislature) of really fighting the good fight for her Constituents.

So here's hoping we can get some results out of USCIS and see all of our petitions move forward! Good luck to all of you out there missing your loved ones.

That's great to hear. Thanks for taking the time to attend the fundraiser and raise the issue in person. The political process may work slowly, but it's better than nothing.

[Greenshoots 2]

Thanks for leading on this issue. I have also contacted one of my Senators. (Oregon). I should send my letter to the second Senator.

[Rob & Rachel 24]

I've contacted mine as well, Got a letter back that they were contacting USCIS, waiting on response. Hopefully I'll hear something this week.

[Bayareaguy 156]

Of course you do realize that politicians, especially at that level, are masters at telling you what you want to hear.

But I truly hope she is sincere and is going to try to help.

[dandk 72]

Of course you do realize that politicians, especially at that level, are masters at telling you what you want to hear.

But I truly hope she is sincere and is going to try to help.

I agreed...

[Billious 32]

That's why I attended a fundraiser... cynical though it may be, you tend to get more than lip service when you're forking over $$$

[Oregon Bound 30]

Thanks for leading on this issue. I have also contacted one of my Senators. (Oregon). I should send my letter to the second Senator.

Which Senators are you contacting? We are also in Oregon.

[Billious 32]

An update: just heard back from Senator Baldwin's caseworker. She said she spoke with the supervisor of the CSC's congressional inquiries department. He noted there was a severe uptick in Congressional inquiries over the past few weeks.

He insisted no adjudicators we're diverted to DACA and that delays were due to increased volume (I think we can all collectively call BS but one way or another...)

He also said hundreds of new adjudicators were hired and are in training right now, and that most of them are due to go to the CSC. He told our caseworker that no files were water damaged (it would be interesting to find out whether the Ombudsman was full of it?) and most interestingly: anyone with files within a 3 week range of the current processing date is eligible to have their file pulled and reviewed by a "senior adjudicator" by Congressional request.

Take with as many grains of salt as required....

[JimboSpirit 0]

Senator Baldwin's caseworker got a huge puff of smoke blown up their you know what, IMHO.

Now that the CSC is actually working on K1s again, wonder if the truth will ever come out.

[Billious 32]

Senator Baldwin's caseworker got a huge puff of smoke blown up their you know what, IMHO.

Regarding excuses for K1's not having been processed, absolutely. About water damage? Who knows. But I believe they have hired a whole mess of new adjudicators, and I think it's reasonable that they've opened the door for all Congressional requests for those within a range of their processing time. It makes sense. If they're getting flooded with Congressional requests, it makes it nice and clean to say "we'll pull the files of anyone who's within 3 weeks of our processing target".

USCIS is a piece of work though, my goodness...

[UK-USA-K1 128]

Regarding excuses for K1's not having been processed, absolutely. About water damage? Who knows. But I believe they have hired a whole mess of new adjudicators, and I think it's reasonable that they've opened the door for all Congressional requests for those within a range of their processing time. It makes sense. If they're getting flooded with Congressional requests, it makes it nice and clean to say "we'll pull the files of anyone who's within 3 weeks of our processing target".

USCIS is a piece of work though, my goodness...

I would hope that they would pull files within 3 weeks from their stated target. That target is July 18th, and anyone within three weeks would be no later than August 8th. IMO, anyone who has been waiting that long deserves to get expedited, and in reality, should already have their file on an adjudicators desk right now.

Of course, I'm still fairly new to this "game", so my patience hasn't had time to wear out like others, but I think those people who have waited so long with the complete non movement of CSC for months, deserve a break.

I do wonder though if the hiring of adjudicators is due to the massive influx of DACA cases. With the fact the processes supposedly completely funded by all our fees, the sudden influx of cash from DACA cases would make sense that they could then afford to hire and train new adjudicators to help with the increased caseload. This would explain a lot of the issues of late. Of course we'll never know the whole truth behind it, we can only hope that they can now get caught up and stay caught up.

My next worry is what will happen when congress passes the new immigration bill to legalize the 11 million or so immigrants who are currently out of status in this country? If the DACA cases backlogged the service centers this badly, what will happen when they expand it to all age groups?