FOIA Response from USCIS - Re Transfers of I-130

[Kaylara 814]

Well, I just got an email from Senator Menendez's office (NJ) about the request that I sent them in mid-September. Asking me to submit another privacy waiver. The text is below:

Greetings. Our office is in receipt of your inquiry. However, please note that based on the Privacy Act of 1974, all request for assistance must be put in writing and sent to our office. Thus, a Privacy Release form has been attached for your convenience. Upon receipt of the complete form, we can take further action. Thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

So, I responded:

Dear Director of Immigration Services,

I'm sorry, but I wrote for help from your office back in September of 2013 and mailed you a privacy release form as well as all of the pertinent documentation regarding my case. I received no help. When I called to find out what was happening with my case with the USCIS, I was told that your office had contacted them and not heard anything for two months, and had no intention of following up with them as you were waiting for an answer from them. After that, I heard nothing. I finally received my approval from the USCIS on January 3rd, 2014, 9 1/2 months after I applied. I am still waiting on a date from the Consulate in Amsterdam as I got my case completed at the NVC on April 10, 2014. My family has been separated from my husband for more than a year, and it looks like that will continue into June 2014 at this point in time.

Due to the absolutely ridiculous treatment I received from the staff in your office, I understood that Senator Menendez has no interest in helping his constituents who are having a problem with the USCIS while going through the legal immigration route. As such, I have advised other people who have been having problems with the USCIS and are from New Jersey that contacting your office is an exercise in futility, and you will be of no help. I have also expressed my concerns with most people in my family and my friends who were equally appalled at the treatment I received. I also interviewed with the New York Times in an article that detailed the very serious problems being faced by US Citizens who were petitioning for their foreign spouses, and the lack of help or concern shown by our representatives.

I will not be voting for Senator Menendez in the future, nor will they. There was a serious problem happening with the Spousal applications with the USCIS last year, and he did nothing to help us, and did not even respond to our repeated requests for help. Me and the people who know me will not forget that any time soon.

I know that it is very likely that none of this is your fault. You are not the person who I originally contacted in your office, and I'm very sorry that you are the recipient of this email. I hope that in the future, if Senator Menendez remains in office that he will be more responsive when people have actual problems with the federal government, and will actually hold the USCIS responsible for their atrocious and callous behavior of all of the US Citizens and their families who have to deal with them. And work to make sure they don't do this in the future. But based on my dealings with your office, I'm not holding my breath expecting that this will happen.

I do hope that you have a better day than any I've had in the 13 months (so far) that we've been waiting for my "immediately available" visa to be issued.

Sincerely,

Kaylara

So, we'll see what kind of a response this gets. I'm going to be sending them all of the information we compiled previously, as well as this new FOIA information, if there's any kind of response to my email.

[bdrew612 1,071]

That was an excellent response. Is he up for re-election in November? I'd be surprised if his office responds now. Keep us posted!

[PallasAthena 101]

Good for you! I hope that letter gets his attention. During election time, he always used to parade around Newark trying to play the immigration card to garner votes.

<begin rant>

Bob Menendez is a joke and I never voted for him, ever. He's ALWAYS being investigated for corruption. Here he goes, once again http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/01/23/sen-menendez-denies-allegations-in-new-reported-fbi-probe.html

He was the keynote speaker at my Masters graduation a few years ago. When he went up on stage to talk, he got a few 'boos'.

A couple of months later, he was in hot water for visiting the D.R. using questionable sources of funding and hiring underage prostitutes.

These are the people we trust to help us and "represent" us. Yay.

</end rant>

[Kaylara 814]

I've also been calling him out every time he posts some bullshit about immigration on his facebook page. (But I do that with just about everyone who talks about immigration.) I doubt it will get his attention. Who knows, maybe it will. I have the same complaint about Congressman Chris Smith, but then with the addition that he hires staff to deal with complex immigration situations who are functionally illiterate.

[bdrew612 1,071]

I've also been calling him out every time he posts some bullshit about immigration on his facebook page. (But I do that with just about everyone who talks about immigration.) I doubt it will get his attention. Who knows, maybe it will. I have the same complaint about Congressman Chris Smith, but then with the addition that he hires staff to deal with complex immigration situations who are functionally illiterate.

Twitter can be fun, too. My Representative told me I should study the issues closer (after I called him out on his BS for claiming to support immigration reform).

[BOS_LHR 829]

Twitter can be fun, too. My Representative told me I should study the issues closer (after I called him out on his BS for claiming to support immigration reform).

Nice guy. Really knows how to bond with his constituents.

[bdrew612 1,071]

Nice guy. Really knows how to bond with his constituents.

Senator Franken (up for re-election) - his office said to call back in 9 months for assistance and they get calls all the time about the I-130 backlog. Umm HELLO?! Isn't that your cue to do something about it?

Representative Ellison (up for re-election) - told me to call back in 6 months. In the meantime "what do you want Mr Ellison to do?" The e-mail I sent, which didn't get a response until I tweeted him on his hypocrisy, was not case specific, but rather about the backlog. He eventually replied to me that his priority is a path to citizenship for undocumented persons, followed by family reunification and then followed by some other BS about penalizing employers for hiring undocumented people.

Senator Klobuchar (not up for re-election this year) - she sent a couple case inquiries. The second one it was blatantly clear they were giving out-dated information so I explained that to her office. Then it was silent. I got a call a month later saying to call her office when I get approved and they'll expedite my case at NVC. I'm not eligible for an expedite! AHHHHHHHHHH!

Rant over.

[BOS_LHR 829]

Senator Franken (up for re-election) - his office said to call back in 9 months for assistance and they get calls all the time about the I-130 backlog. Umm HELLO?! Isn't that your cue to do something about it?

Representative Ellison (up for re-election) - told me to call back in 6 months. In the meantime "what do you want Mr Ellison to do?" The e-mail I sent, which didn't get a response until I tweeted him on his hypocrisy, was not case specific, but rather about the backlog. He eventually replied to me that his priority is a path to citizenship for undocumented persons, followed by family reunification and then followed by some other BS about penalizing employers for hiring undocumented people.

Senator Klobuchar (not up for re-election this year) - she sent a couple case inquiries. The second one it was blatantly clear they were giving out-dated information so I explained that to her office. Then it was silent. I got a call a month later saying to call her office when I get approved and they'll expedite my case at NVC. I'm not eligible for an expedite! AHHHHHHHHHH!

Rant over.

At least you have the pleasure of giving someone else your vote very soon. I don't think I've seen a single elected representative give a ####### about the general immigration problems plaguing our demographic. Some will show passing interest in making inquiries on individual cases -- though it seems they quickly lose patience and disengage -- but no one seems to want to take it on as an actual agenda issue. Changing that would be a key step to making a legislative difference that would positively affect future filers. We need to get people in office who are concerned with more than amnesty (whether for or against).

[bdrew612 1,071]

At least you have the pleasure of giving someone else your vote very soon. I don't think I've seen a single elected representative give a ####### about the general immigration problems plaguing our demographic. Some will show passing interest in making inquiries on individual cases -- though it seems they quickly lose patience and disengage -- but no one seems to want to take it on as an actual agenda issue. Changing that would be a key step to making a legislative difference that would positively affect future filers. We need to get people in office who are concerned with more than amnesty (whether for or against).

I agree 100%. They all want to dig their heels in. The only time I hear about immigration from politicians it's about amnesty. There's so much more to it.

My Rep will likely get re-elected as he always wins by a ridiculous margin. I'm not quite so sure about Sen Franken, though. Once you leave Minneapolis, Minnesota is pretty conservative. Hence, Michele Bachman.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Good lord, reading some of the responses people have got from politicians, I thought British politicians were useless but it seems the US has a whole new level lol.