USCIS Hitting the News for Massive Delays

[Kaylara 814]

Kaylara,

If you have hard evidence beyond just the internal emails, a Republican legislator may be quite interested in hearing about it.

Really? Because they haven't been interested in seeing it to date. Please check out the links here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aU0f9uipzXl8JOweHWjrUhChVX3Oon02b6x3ZoJ44hY/edit

There's also another blog post around here somewhere that analyzes the approvals over the past two quarters for various immigrant classes. I'll see if I can find it. Then there's the USCIS's own data. And I know that the email that they just sent out says that they've been working diligently to fix this backlog, but I think it's going to be entirely obvious once the relevant data comes out that they were holding the dates back artificially to avoid having to actually meet any deadlines, or offer service requests. This is data that I believe a legislator would be able to request fairly easily.

As far as I understand it, they were playing silly buggers like this last year with the K1's. This is unacceptable behavior from a government agency, and if they cannot perform their job appropriately, or they abuse their power, then something needs to change immediately to prevent them from behaving so in the future.

[Kaylara 814]

http://immigrationroad.com/blog/is-daca-linked-to-uscis-i-130-processing-delays/

[maksimov 15]

Yup, I posted that last link.

That letter looks like a good start for getting someone's attention.

To move congressmen you either have to embarrass them in front of their critical voting blocs (base + any swing voters) or hand them an opportunity to score points with those voters. The angle of DACA apps being prioritized over standalone I-130s is useful in this regard, as it excites right wing fears about illegal immigration and potentially embarrasses left-of-center politicians for pandering.

I wonder, therefore, if the letter would be more effective if it were to frame the USCIS incompetence by the DACA influence.

[Kaylara 814]

Yup, I posted that last link.

That letter looks like a good start for getting someone's attention.

To move congressmen you either have to embarrass them in front of their critical voting blocs (base + any swing voters) or hand them an opportunity to score points with those voters. The angle of DACA apps being prioritized over standalone I-130s is useful in this regard, as it excites right wing fears about illegal immigration and potentially embarrasses left-of-center politicians for pandering.

I wonder, therefore, if the letter would be more effective if it were to frame the USCIS incompetence by the DACA influence.

If you read through the other letters that we'd sent out and the blog post that we've been linking everywhere we can does discuss DACA. I've sent that information to more people Left, Right, and Center than I care to think about. And I'm not the only one doing so. We've sent it to news agencies, Congresspeople, Senators, and have been getting the word out everywhere we can. You'd think that the Republicans and Tea Party people would be all over this. But they're fairly 'meh' about it, if they've responded to us at all. Even though it could give them more leverage in the current immigration debate.

[Kaylara 814]

I think that we're currently working on a second letter, but there's been dissension in the ranks. I think we can mention the entire thing with DACA and show it to be a failure of the leadership at the USCIS. Most people on BOTH sides of the aisle that I talk to are horrified to find out that DACA was prioritized over USC's.

[Kaylara 814]

I think that we're currently working on a second letter, but there's been dissension in the ranks. I think we can mention the entire thing with DACA and show it to be a failure of the leadership at the USCIS. Most people on BOTH sides of the aisle that I talk to are horrified to find out that DACA was prioritized over USC's.

Here's more http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/464442-data-on-uscis-i-130-performance/ (Did I post this before. I don't even know anymore. )

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Whatever peoples political views on illegal immigrants, USCIS should not be prioritising DACA over the families of citizens and they have clearly shown that they are not fit for purpose. We definitely need this highlighted in the next letter.

One thing I've been contemplating is whether our wait is due to USCIS being incompetent and sticking us at the back of the queue or whether it was an executive order from above to get the DACA requests filed quickly to the detriment of our applications. As I'm not a USC and am currently not hugely familiar with the political system yet what do people think? It may be my cynical British mind but I'm at least a bit suspicious that USCIS were ordered to process DACA petitions quickly and with minimum fuss...

Edited November 28, 2013 by Hotter Otter

[grapier 10]

Whatever peoples political views on illegal immigrants, USCIS should not be prioritising DACA over the families of citizens and they have clearly shown that they are not fit for purpose. We definitely need this highlighted in the next letter.

One thing I've been contemplating is whether our wait is due to USCIS being incompetent and sticking us at the back of the queue or whether it was an executive order from above to get the DACA requests filed quickly to the detriment of our applications. As I'm not a USC and am currently not hugely familiar with the political system yet what do people think? It may be my cynical British mind but I'm at least a bit suspicious that USCIS were ordered to process DACA petitions quickly and with minimum fuss...

this is not what happened, so no one ordered it. this is a efficacy issue. even if it was an issue of daca affecting our queue directly, which it is not, you're wrong about who should be prioritized. it is easy for people here to justify that they should be considered first because they are citizens. this is selfish and short-sighted. most of these people 'earned' their citizenship simply by being born here. this should give you no priority over another human being who happened to be born someone else. beyond the larger issue of the me, me, me problem...logistically, it would make sense to prioritize the processing of the immigrant population currently on hand over those still in another country. if you compare the two you can see the flawed logic. you have one group saying i get priority because i was born here; a simple matter of location. yet, the current immigrants here; location, don't get priority. it is awful to believe that you have more rights over another because of the color of their skin or their place of birth..."happy thanksgiving, but me first..."

[maksimov 15]

grapier,

DACA application do appear to be time critical, since the applicants could be sent into removal proceedings or actually deported at any time (one of the accepted proofs of identity for the application is charge/removal paperwork [link]).

Moreover, I agree that it's largely an efficacy problem since the processing work is driven by user fees, not congressional budgeting. However, the congressional case worker I have been interacting with said that some core funding does come from Congress, and that this may be contributing to logistical rigidity.

It's a complex issue, but the fact remains that standalone I-130 petitioners have been getting the shaft, and the DACA angle is probably a good way to draw attention to the problem.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

this is not what happened, so no one ordered it. this is a efficacy issue. even if it was an issue of daca affecting our queue directly, which it is not, you're wrong about who should be prioritized. it is easy for people here to justify that they should be considered first because they are citizens. this is selfish and short-sighted. most of these people 'earned' their citizenship simply by being born here. this should give you no priority over another human being who happened to be born someone else. beyond the larger issue of the me, me, me problem...logistically, it would make sense to prioritize the processing of the immigrant population currently on hand over those still in another country. if you compare the two you can see the flawed logic. you have one group saying i get priority because i was born here; a simple matter of location. yet, the current immigrants here; location, don't get priority. it is awful to believe that you have more rights over another because of the color of their skin or their place of birth..."happy thanksgiving, but me first..."

Steady on old chap, you misread what I wrote. I said that my issue was with prioritising DACA over the spouses of citizens. I did NOT, however, say that we should be prioritised over them, so next time you go talking about people being short sighted and selfish and making racism references please make sure you have read the post you are attacking properly first! What I want and what I have argued for in other threads is fairness. I don't actually have a big problem with DACA and I do not feel that my case deserves special attention because my wife is a citizen. I do, however, have a problem with the fact that USCIS piled up tens of thousands of I-130's and ignored them while processing DACA files. They could have been processed concurrently or in order, they have our fees to pay for the staff after all. The evidence of what they have done is there in emails and statistics. If you think the situation is okay and you don't have a problem with it then this thread is probably not for you.

[r060106 109]

Steady on old chap, you misread what I wrote. I said that my issue was with prioritising DACA over the spouses of citizens. I did NOT, however, say that we should be prioritised over them, so next time you go talking about people being short sighted and selfish and making racism references please make sure you have read the post you are attacking properly first! What I want and what I have argued for in other threads is fairness. I don't actually have a big problem with DACA and I do not feel that my case deserves special attention because my wife is a citizen. I do, however, have a problem with the fact that USCIS piled up tens of thousands of I-130's and ignored them while processing DACA files. They could have been processed concurrently or in order, they have our fees to pay for the staff after all. The evidence of what they have done is there in emails and statistics. If you think the situation is okay and you don't have a problem with it then this thread is probably not for you.

Very well said. Agreed.

[Virtuous45 31]

the same here.

it is like being a good and honest person has no sense in this world anymore.

I agree. I could have chosen the K-1 route but I wanted my family to be a part of my wedding, since they all would not be able to come to the wedding in the US. Now, we are about to start the process in January, and reading all the information about the pace of USCIS is draining me emotional. I hope with all the heat being turned on them, they'll do something to fast track our cases.

[Ryan H 3,818]

*** Six posts removed and four members thread banned for ignoring my earlier warning to stop bickering.***

[Kaylara 814]

I agree. I could have chosen the K-1 route but I wanted my family to be a part of my wedding, since they all would not be able to come to the wedding in the US. Now, we are about to start the process in January, and reading all the information about the pace of USCIS is draining me emotional. I hope with all the heat being turned on them, they'll do something to fast track our cases.

Well, the goods news for you is that you probably won't get stuck in the backlog like those of us. They're actually processing some cases now. They haven't been doing that for a rather large portion of this year.

[BraveAmnay 56]

People there WANT TO LIVE HERE !!

The European Nations are a frickin' mess - Briton distances themselves from those clowns.

I Agree with you i knew many from there want move to usa i have friend married there but its mess plus over there with the economy down.The racist start showen up lot now adays,But their systeme of Immigratition is easier i mean you dont need all that stuff wait for Noa1 Then Noa2 then interview and you are not sure if you will get your visa join your Fiancee or no ,or your husband/Wife.

Over there things take maximum 6 month from the date of marriage till the visa in Hand.Anway everything happen for reason hope really for good reason.