Then, “there has been the added challenge of trying to present an application in the midst of pandemic,” said Jill Marie Bussey, director of advocacy with CLINIC. With travel restricted and many facing financial hardship, “it’s very difficult to find documentary evidence, and frankly, the money,” she continued.
A spokesperson for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said the agency has already heard many of these complaints and is working to fix them.
“Following input from stakeholders, USCIS is looking into options including the possibility of adding additional guidance to the USCIS webpage regarding processing times, policies and application procedures. USCIS is also conducting additional outreach activities to stakeholders and potential applicants,” said public affairs officer Jane Cowley. She added that the coronavirus pandemic slowed processing times.
Jabateh, of ACANA, said his group knows of at least a hundred people who have come to his Southwest Philadelphia organization for help with applications. Of those, more than half have had issues with their initial applications being rejected on grounds they were not aware could disqualify them.
“Liberians themselves were not patient enough, everyone was rushing,” he said, of the scramble to apply. Some applicants did not seek legal guidance, or request all of their existing documentation from USCIS, before applying.
Some people, such as those convicted of a felony or two crimes showing “moral turpitude” are clearly not eligible based on the regulations. But others, including those flagged for inconsistencies in their paperwork, have been surprised to find their applications rejected, said Jabateh. Now, they have to pay more fees and wait longer to see if they will be able to finally receive permanent residency.
“If you’re a hardcore criminal, and you’re causing problems in the United States, you need to get out of here,” said Jabateh. But, if you have some other, less serious problem hampering your eligibility, “it needs to be addressed,” he continued.
Taken together, locals said there are many lessons that can be learned, and applied, if the Biden administration manages to fulfill another one of its early priorities: a pathway to citizenship for all eligible undocumented immigrants.
“We hope they can get this right…” said Bussey, “Imagine doing this for 11 million people.”