Faxed and sent certified mail #70031010000126164549.
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Dear Representative Sanchez,
I am writing to you regarding my Employment-Based I-485 Adjustment of Status application. The EB I-485 receipt number is WAC-**-***-*****. My alien registration number is ###-###-###. I am extremely concerned regarding the delays in adjudication of I-485 cases at the California Service Center (CSC) of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS). According to CSC’s progress report, adjudication for I-485 cases has not shown any progress since 2002. Congress has expressed repeatedly that the reasonable adjudication period is 6 months for immigrant benefit cases. The failure of USCIS to comply with legislations has resulted in a class action lawsuit filed in the District Court of the District of Columbia (Complaint for Mandamus, Declaratory, and Injunctive Relief, Civil Action 03-2606, Judge James Roberson, Filed 22 December 2003).
Even though the USCIS is a government agency, it should never be above the law. Thus, I urge Representative Sanchez to enforce legislations passed by members of the Congress and hold the USCIS to higher standards of service. I would also like to remind Representative Sanchez of words by Thomas Jefferson, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. The unreasonable delay at the USCIS is unequivocally infringing upon my career and my pursuit of happiness. As a member of the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, I believe Representative Sanchez will take appropriate actions to rein the USCIS.
Through the internet, I was able to find a group of concerned immigrants whom also filed their I-485s but find themselves in quagmire. Many of us have contacted members of the Congress for assistance. One of us was lucky enough to reach Representative Anna Eshoo and her assistant contacted Don Neufeld, Director of CSC for the USCIS on our behalf. Responding to the I-485 delay, Mr. Neufeld stated that El Salvadoran receiving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) immigrant benefits was prioritized before the I-485 applications and contributed to the delay. It is revolting to think that many legal immigrants such as myself who pay taxes and contribute to the American economy but we are still regarded as low priority by the USCIS. Mr. Neufeld has also promised to reduce the processing time for Adjustment of Status applications (I-485) to 12 months or less by the end of September 2004. I encourage Representative Sanchez to hold Don Neufeld to his words and improve the service at the CSC. Any further delays and broken promises would only create distrust among government agencies, its elected officials, and the people, whom the elected are supposed to represent.
In summary, I would like to request for Representative Sanchez’s help to 1) contact the CSC of the USCIS and express frustrations with the I-485 processing delays; and 2) hold Don Neufeld to his promise and obtain specific plans to reduce the I-485 backlogs without more de-prioritizing of I-485 immigrant benefits.
I’m available for any comments at ###-###-####. Thank you for your attention and your time.
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