USCIS Green Card Review to Tackle Backlog, But Experts Warn of Significant Delays

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The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has launched a massive review of pending green card and immigration applications, a move that could have a significant impact on the agency's backlog. However, experts warn that the effort may lead to significant delays in processing new applications. The review, which was announced in a memo this month, targets applications from individuals with adjusted status and those from countries classified as high-risk by the agency. The move comes in the wake of a shooting in Washington, DC, that left two National Guard members dead and one injured. According to a former senior USCIS official, the review will require thousands of man-hours and will be taken from processing new filings. This could lead to significant delays in the processing of green cards, work permits, travel documents, visa extensions, and naturalization for immigrants from countries like Afghanistan, Cuba, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Venezuela. The review is aimed at ensuring that individuals receiving immigration benefits do not pose a national security risk. However, experts argue that the measure may be a 'needle-in-the-haystack search' and may only identify a small number of cases where applicants were not admissible at the time of filing. Applicants from affected countries have already reported having their interviews canceled or delayed. While the USCIS memo urges field offices to make the review a priority, experts believe that this balance will be difficult to maintain. "This is a tremendous drain on already scarce resources at USCIS, with a limited probability of success in reaching the stated goal," said Ricky Murray, a former chief of staff at USCIS. "Those who have an adjusted status may be re-reviewed in accordance with this memo, but doing it on this scale is unprecedented.