The News Isn't All Bad: Immigration System 'ground to a halt' Due To Coronavirus

You know this is good news when the ACLU is whining about it:

The coronavirus and the Trump administration's response to the pandemic have slowed down and complicated an already overtaxed American immigration system, according to a report released Wednesday.

The impact of the virus has been felt throughout the system, including in the number of visas being issued worldwide, the effect that closed land borders has had on asylum seekers, and number of arrests federal officers are making of illegal immigrants within the United States, the American Immigration Council’s study concludes.

“While the outbreak has impacted many aspects of American life, it created unique challenges for noncitizens as well as the various government agencies that regulate immigration,” states The Impact of COVID-19 on Noncitizens and Across the U.S. Immigration System report.

“The U.S. immigration system has, in many ways, been slow to respond to the pandemic, and the impact of the government’s response has been experienced by citizens and noncitizens alike,” the report continues. “Some aspects of the immigration system have ground to a halt. In other cases, many noncitizens, their families, their attorneys, and government personnel have had to continue to navigate some routine operations that force them to violate the social distancing measures implemented in nine out of ten states.”

LINK: ACLU Condemns Trump Admin’s Restriction Of

Asylum Process For Migrants At US-Mexico Border

Newly published State Department statistics show a 93% decline in the number of visas issued since the start of the year. In January, the government issued 713,000 visas compared to 49,000 last month. Jorge Loweree, policy director at AIC, told reporters in a call Wednesday afternoon that the huge decrease was the result of the administration’s March 20 decision to stop offering routine visa services at all embassies and consulates.

Within the U.S., the Department of Homeland Security agency that handles interviews of visa applicants and immigrant benefits shut the doors to all offices on April 24. Tens of thousands of naturalization ceremonies have been suspended, said Ur Jaddou, director of DHS Watch and former chief counsel of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS has not extended filing deadlines or nonimmigrant visas, putting noncitizens in a bind as visas expire and they become at risk of being illegally present in the country.

Read the rest of the story HERE.

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