US Immigration Policy: The Trump administration in America has taken a shocking decision. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) led by the Trump administration has sent the entire staff of the Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) Ombudsman Office on a 60-day long leave.
This is not being seen as a temporary change but as a strategic decision. This decision has deepened the suspicion that the independent immigration inspection system is being gradually abolished by the Trump administration.
The CIS office used to work independently of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). It used to help about 30,000 people every year to get out of immigration related problems. Its main objective was to ensure transparency and fairness in immigration processes. However, now with the temporary closure of CIS, no department can monitor the functioning of USCIS.
This change can have the biggest impact on people of Indian origin who are working in America on H-1B visa or studying on F-1 visa. Both these categories are often victims of slow process of USCIS, documentary errors and delay in form processing. For this, they used to take the help of CIS Ombudsman, which made their work easier. However, now this decision of Trump can bring a lot of problems for them.
Trouble for H-1B visa holders
With the temporary closure of CIS Ombudsman, H-1B visa holders will have to find alternative ways to know the status of their petition or challenge the inequalities of USCIS. However, the biggest concern is that in the absence of Ombudsman, there will be no impartial or independent eye on the decision process of USCIS.
Reaction of immigration lawyers and lawmakers
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and many advocacy groups have strongly criticized the decision. They believe that this move points to a lack of transparency in the immigration system and a monopoly of administrative control. Democratic lawmakers have particularly called this move a defiance of legal requirements, because the affected office, the CIS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, was established with the help of the law and cannot be removed.
What can affected immigrants do?
Following the closure of the Ombudsman, affected immigrants have some key options:
1. Contact your congressional representative: In many cases, representatives can get information directly from USCIS and get cases prioritized.
2. Seek the help of an immigration lawyer: Professional guidance is vital, especially for difficult cases. Certified lawyers from organizations like AILA can help.
3. Keep a detailed record of all documents: A copy of every email, letter, call log and application should be kept safely so that it can be produced as evidence at any time.
4. Consider premium processing: If financially feasible, a visa holder can expedite the application process by taking advantage of USCIS’ premium processing facility.
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