AFGE Council 119 Statement Regarding Senate Recess Before Massive Furloughs at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Washington, D.C. — Statement from the AFGE National Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Council 119 on the Senate’s break for recess without resolving the upcoming furlough of 70% of the agency:

“We are disappointed that the Senate has decided to break for recess without addressing an impending crisis that will devastate 13,400 hard-working USCIS employees, harm American families, businesses, and military service members, and that will effectively shut down our nation’s legal immigration system. While the Senators pat themselves on the back, thousands of their constituents don’t know if they’re going to have a paycheck in two weeks.”

“Both sides of the aisle agree: well-regulated legal immigration helps America. Our businesses, military, and economy will bear the cost of the Senate’s inaction – not to mention our thousands of members and the immigrants who will get stuck in limbo without a well-functioning immigration system. The clock is running out to save USCIS, and it seems like the Senate has thrown away whatever time was left at the expense of our economy, our immigration system, and their constituents.”

AFGE USCIS Council 119 recently launched a campaign calling on emergency Congressional funding for USCIS, called Americans Agree. A petition from the national AFGE has garnered over 15,000 signatures so far.

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About AFGE USCIS Council 119
The American Federation of Government Employees USCIS Council 119 represents more than 13,400 experts and employees from across the nation who together serve the American public by operating the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, which provides services to American businesses, the military, and non-governmental organizations pursuing legal immigration solutions for their workforces, while also supporting refugees and asylum seekers from across the world.

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