Writing Congressmen and Senators - Why?

[SoCalMark 49]

I see so many people writing Senators and Congressmen and I don't understand why? Is it for satisfaction? Hope? Some of them write letters after just four months into the process. I used to work in a congressional office and those letters and faxes just stack up in a corner and collected into a big box (depending on the district). Then some of the staffers read them (if they have time) where the two or three get forwarded to a secretary and the rest go into the round file. Has anyone truly benefit from a letter? If so .... how do they know? The office would contact them if they did.

[candy35 4]

I don't think it works because im about to slap the one in my congressman office she told me on the 14th that she emailed usisc on the 3 and 6 and she has not received any ansewer I said why don't u call them so today I called her she had an attude and said I will check up on it again on the 19th I said I will call every day until I have and answere from u because I have been waiting 6mos and I said I will be coming into your office everyday also

[apple21 953]

Contacting my hubby's congressman worked for us. Refer to my signature.

Just sharing although we're not K1 filers.

Edited June 19, 2013 by apple21

[Ning 619]

I see so many people writing Senators and Congressmen and I don't understand why? Is it for satisfaction? Hope? Some of them write letters after just four months into the process. I used to work in a congressional office and those letters and faxes just stack up in a corner and collected into a big box (depending on the district). Then some of the staffers read them (if they have time) where the two or three get forwarded to a secretary and the rest go into the round file. Has anyone truly benefit from a letter? If so .... how do they know? The office would contact them if they did.

Because unlike you they didn't see what really happens. They want to believe these politicians will do something for the people they represent. Most of them couldn't identify the name of the politician before they really needed them.

Many people here on V J will argue that you are wrong or its just one office where people didn't do their jobs ect. The reality of it is that these same politicians haven't done anything to reform immigration laws since they took office. They know better than to get involved.

I have seen many people here on V J that want to believe the politician affected their case simply because of the timing of events after they contacted them. More likely coincidence but they want to believe so they do.

I know what happened in my own case when my husband tried asking for help. The female staffer eventually told him he knew more about the situation they she did even with her 20 years of experience. They even sent what they did have to the wrong address. He couldn't get them to contact him first in any instance. He always had to push to get the info because they could care less about the peoples situation.

Have people here on V J been helped by these politicians? Yes in some case I have seen. But its very few really.

Thanks for posting a real life story on this subject.

[goodlucklife 44]

I see so many people writing Senators and Congressmen and I don't understand why? Is it for satisfaction? Hope? Some of them write letters after just four months into the process. I used to work in a congressional office and those letters and faxes just stack up in a corner and collected into a big box (depending on the district). Then some of the staffers read them (if they have time) where the two or three get forwarded to a secretary and the rest go into the round file. Has anyone truly benefit from a letter? If so .... how do they know? The office would contact them if they did.

When my file was transferred from vsc to Texas after waiting almost 6 months for approval.. I could not get answers ... I called my senators and congressmen and at least they have been able to give me specifics on where my file is . They have a soecific contact a the texas servce center for the senators and can find answers faster.

In 2 weeks I will hit h 7 mark of waiting while feb folks back at the vsc are getting approved and he processing time show 5 months for Vermont... Basically Vermont handed over their backlog of dec filers to look on time... This too is being addressed with our political leaders... The system is broken .. That is why they are there.. To represent us...

[Jawaree 717]

I believe OP...first before contacting these ppl

see whats their thoughts & voting habits Re: immigrants

those U hear say "I am for those who get to the back of

the line only" don't make these letters a priorty, ever so

often they will make a few calls here & there to NVC, but

to believe in them is to believe in the booggey-man....

They are politicians remember.

My wife friend called,wrote , send & faxed authorisations

to Shelia Jackson-Lee, who they so believed in and its been

over since and never got a call as the woman in the office

promised

[SoCalMark 49]

I've seen these guys in action and they really don't care about your personal waiting problems with the stacks of other problems on their desk. They spend more time in meetings than actually doing work and the congressional support staff doesn't care either. I agree with the post that it is pure and simple coincidence that the case goes forward after the contact.

[Ratty and C 13]

My congressman helped us. Well, his aides Whether they help will depend on who the politician is. If you're in a situation where you need help it's at least a channel with some small chance of helping you instead of just waiting for a bureaucracy. If it has 1% chance of helping that at least helps some people, and when it helps it can help a heck of a lot, like in my case.

[QueenOfBlades 224]

Writing our Senator didn't help at all (he got back to us saying he'd chase up USCIS when we got our NOA2), but Congressman Wilson's office helped us tremendously. His aide provided us with information consistently to help us along. She found out we'd been transferred to Texas, estimate time of adjudication, told us when we'd been assigned an adjudicator etc. I'm also pretty sure that the amount of congressional enquiries TSC recieved on our behalf hurried our NOA2 along (we were one of the first Jan filers to get NOA2 and one of few from Jan 15th + who got it at that time, within the first few days of TSC beginning proper adjudication). There is absolutely no reason at all someone shouldn't contact your representatives. The amount of waiting time currently is silly and the more people who try to query this, it might help speed things along a little bit. Never used to have to wait this long a couple of years back.

Oh and also when we'd recieved our NOA2, Congressman Wilson wrote us a letter personally congratulating us on this milestone.

Edited June 25, 2013 by QueenOfBlades