|
‘ARCHAIC SYSTEM’ — An "archaic system" is the reason U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) continues to face delays in processing immigration benefits even after offices reopened amid the COVID-19 pandemic, reports Andrew Kreighbaum of Bloomberg Law. A newly released report from the Department of Homeland Security’s watchdog cites the agency’s reliance on paper files, ineffective technology, and limited access to offices: "Staff have had limited opportunities to print and scan documents, get signatures from supervisors, and mail forms to applicants while the pandemic has continued," among other challenges. USCIS plans to completely digitize its benefits work within five years, Kreighbaum reports. ONE TRANSLATOR’S STORY — For The Texas Tribune, Kailyn Rhone recounts "Lucky" and his family’s harrowing escape from Afghanistan and resettlement in the U.S. The translator had worked for the U.S. military for a decade and relocated to San Diego in 2016, but he and his family went back to Afghanistan last May after his mother got sick. Her condition worsened — as did the country’s political environment. To escape, Lucky disguised himself as a truck driver, becoming part of the exodus of Afghan families in search of safety. In August, they resettled once more, but this time, in Fort Worth. More from The Texas Tribune: a moving video about "Amir," who worked with U.S. special forces and now lives in Dallas. Here is today’s compilation of local stories of welcome:
BOTCHED PAPERWORK — Thousands of asylum seekers never make their case in immigration court and get deported for reasons that can be as simple as a clerical error, reports Tyche Hendricks of KQED. Rosa Díaz nearly met that fate. A victim of domestic violence, Díaz fled Honduras with her three children in 2018. Because ICE agents sent her immigration court notice to the incorrect address in California, she was unaware of her court date. When she voluntarily checked in at an ICE office, she was told she would be deported that same day — but immigrant rights advocates working outside the building stepped in. "They were able to talk to her and then advocate with ICE to give her a few more days to be able to try to reopen that removal proceeding because she did not know about it," said Katie Fleming, director of CRLAF Removal Defense Program in Sacramento. DREAMERS — Linda Chavez, senior fellow at the National Immigration Forum, has an interesting take on the plight of Dreamers in 2022. "For almost two decades, Congress has been stymied in passing any meaningful immigration reform," she writes for The xxxxxx. "The fight has been twofold: What should we do about people currently in the country without permanent status, and what are the country’s needs for immigrants going forward?" Chavez suggests that President Biden could try to force Congress’s hand: "A general amnesty — or even the threat of one — could do right by the Dreamers and maybe force a legislative compromise." Meanwhile, The Washington Post’s Editorial Board highlights a piece of good news regarding Dreamers: many states’ leadership in offering them in-state tuition. Thanks for reading, Dan P.S. A couple of quick pieces to highlight from over the holidays. In thinking about his 10-year anniversary of living in the U.S., Amjad Masad, originally from Jordan, took to Twitter to tell the world ten things he loves about America, as The Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan highlighted. And before Christmas, Joel Rose of NPR noted that with fewer immigrant workers, the U.S. economy is slowing. The immigration slowdown "may be contributing to supply chain problems and inflation," as Jeremy Robbins of the American Immigration Council suggests. |
