USCIS Ombudsman Confirms: Biden Policies Hobble Legal Immigration System
Report shows how inadmissible aliens are often prioritized over lawful via holders
By Elizabeth Jacobs on July 24, 2023
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (USCIS Ombudsman) recently issued a damning report on the effect the Biden administration’s policies have had on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)’s ability to administer the nation’s legal immigration system. The report confirms that the administration’s priorities, abuse of parole, and expansion of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), in particular, have significantly drained agency resources and affected a broad swath of immigration case types.
Background
The USCIS Ombudsman is an independent office within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that serves as a liaison between the public and USCIS. The office, while typically led by a political appointee, is not a part of USCIS and is required by law to issue a report each year detailing systemic issues affecting the agency. The USCIS Ombudsman also provides recommendations to remedy these problems, usually informed by feedback it has received from the public (typically aliens, their representatives, their employers, or alien advocate organizations).
This year’s report, issued on June 30, 2023, outlines how the Biden administration’s immigration policies have diverted USCIS resources away from its mission. While the USCIS Ombudsman provided numerous recommendations to alleviate certain administrative hurdles that directly affect the agency’s applicants and petitioners, it overall failed to suggest reforms that would redirect the agency resources to focus on congressionally authorized programs or otherwise curtail fraud and abuse in the immigration system.
https://cis.org/Jacobs/USCIS-Ombudsman-Confirms-Biden-Policies-Hobble-Legal-Immigration-System
