New Update - First-round victory

We are pleased to report that our coalition to address the affirmative asylum backlog has won a first-round victory!  USCIS has decided to assign 80 asylum officers dedicated only to interviewing affirmative asylum-seekers who applied before January 1, 2016.

Next Step: Hire additional asylum officers!

Our next step is asking USCIS to hire 160 more asylum officers dedicated only to interviewing people who applied in 2016 and 2017 and are still waiting for an interview.  This is because our allies in congress who signed the letter have requested USCIS to address the backlog of those waiting five years and more.

Let us know when you applied!

Please fill out this survey if you have applied for your asylum at USCIS 5+ years ago so we can make USCIS accountable!

Fill the survey here: https://forms.gle/NKa3Fd8pKPH6p7YZ9

 

ASAP Backlog survey takeaways: five ways to change the asylum process

  1. The government should speed up processing times for work permits and asylum interviews.

  2. Work permits and Social Security numbers should be easier to obtain.

  3. More people should be granted asylum, and it should be easier to get immigration status in the United States.

  4. The asylum process should be more accessible and transparent.

  5. Asylum seekers should be treated more humanely.

 

“‘USCIS—Torture Survivors Matter Too,’ ‘Asylum Justice for Torture Survivors’ and ‘7 Years Without My Family’ displayed the signs displayed by torture survivors demonstrating opposite the Asylum Office in Arlington, Virginia (known as ZAR) on October 27, 2022. The demonstration was coordinated by the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC) to call attention to the failure of USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) to schedule asylum interviews for torture survivors and other asylum seekers waiting 5, 6 or even 7 years to present their case to an Asylum Officer.” - Andrea Barron, Advocacy and Outreach Program Manager at Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC)

 

We are asking Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, and Director, Ur Mendoza Jaddou, to accept the recommendation made by 40 members of the House of Representatives in September 2021.

The Congress Members recommended that USCIS assign a designated number of Asylum Officers to interview only Affirmative Asylum Applicants waiting more than five years for an interview with an Asylum Officer (to read the letter, click below).