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Immigration Officers Face Furloughs as Visa Applications Plunge Immigration Officers Face Furloughs as Visa Applications Plunge
(about 1 hour later)
WASHINGTON — Three years of restrictive and sometimes draconian immigration policies have left families separated, applicants for visas stranded and would-be immigrants looking for alternative destinations.WASHINGTON — Three years of restrictive and sometimes draconian immigration policies have left families separated, applicants for visas stranded and would-be immigrants looking for alternative destinations.
Now a new group is facing uncertainty, driven in part by the coronavirus pandemic and President Trump’s immigration policies: thousands of employees of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.Now a new group is facing uncertainty, driven in part by the coronavirus pandemic and President Trump’s immigration policies: thousands of employees of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Nearly 70 percent of the agency faces furloughs because the immigration processing fees that fund it have plummeted.Nearly 70 percent of the agency faces furloughs because the immigration processing fees that fund it have plummeted.
Joseph Edlow, the deputy director for policy of the agency, which screens people seeking immigration relief and protection, has told his approximately 19,000 employees that the decline in revenue from fees attached to immigration and visa applications during the pandemic has forced the agency to turn to Congress for an emergency infusion of $1.2 billion.Joseph Edlow, the deputy director for policy of the agency, which screens people seeking immigration relief and protection, has told his approximately 19,000 employees that the decline in revenue from fees attached to immigration and visa applications during the pandemic has forced the agency to turn to Congress for an emergency infusion of $1.2 billion.
But Democrats and Republicans said the administration had yet to provide sufficient information about the funding request, and Citizenship and Immigration Services is preparing to furlough nearly 13,400 employees by Aug. 3.But Democrats and Republicans said the administration had yet to provide sufficient information about the funding request, and Citizenship and Immigration Services is preparing to furlough nearly 13,400 employees by Aug. 3.
The cause of the budget crunch is in dispute.The cause of the budget crunch is in dispute.
Some agency employees and members of Congress blame Mr. Trump’s restrictive policies, which have dried up fee revenue by adding to delays and backlogs of visa applications.Some agency employees and members of Congress blame Mr. Trump’s restrictive policies, which have dried up fee revenue by adding to delays and backlogs of visa applications.
Top administration officials point to the pandemic. The agency has seen a 50 percent drop in fees from applications since March.Top administration officials point to the pandemic. The agency has seen a 50 percent drop in fees from applications since March.
Regardless of cause, the effect is real. Russell T. Vought, the acting White House budget director, told lawmakers the agency’s fee receipts could fall by more than 60 percent by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Of the agency’s $4.8 billion budget, 97 percent comes from such fees.Regardless of cause, the effect is real. Russell T. Vought, the acting White House budget director, told lawmakers the agency’s fee receipts could fall by more than 60 percent by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year. Of the agency’s $4.8 billion budget, 97 percent comes from such fees.
“This feels like the culmination of three and a half years of policy change and policy shifts, one after another in terms of restricting immigration,” said Jason Marks, a steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1924, which represents some Citizenship and Immigration Services employees.“This feels like the culmination of three and a half years of policy change and policy shifts, one after another in terms of restricting immigration,” said Jason Marks, a steward for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1924, which represents some Citizenship and Immigration Services employees.
Mr. Marks, who also works as an asylum training officer, recently received a furlough notice.Mr. Marks, who also works as an asylum training officer, recently received a furlough notice.
In more than a dozen interviews, officers with the agency and members of Congress said the furloughs would not just harm the personal lives of the employees and worsen morale in the agency. They will also clog the legal immigration system.In more than a dozen interviews, officers with the agency and members of Congress said the furloughs would not just harm the personal lives of the employees and worsen morale in the agency. They will also clog the legal immigration system.
“U.S.C.I.S. operations heavily rely on the revenue raised from fees from applicants and petitioners,” Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a separate letter supporting the emergency funding request. “In many ways, U.S.C.I.S. operates more like a traditional business rather than a government agency funded entirely by appropriations.”“U.S.C.I.S. operations heavily rely on the revenue raised from fees from applicants and petitioners,” Chad F. Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in a separate letter supporting the emergency funding request. “In many ways, U.S.C.I.S. operates more like a traditional business rather than a government agency funded entirely by appropriations.”
Citizenship and Immigration Services officials have told Congress they would repay the funds to the Treasury Department by adding a 10 percent surcharge on applications filed, despite the fact that the pandemic has drastically slowed such processing.Citizenship and Immigration Services officials have told Congress they would repay the funds to the Treasury Department by adding a 10 percent surcharge on applications filed, despite the fact that the pandemic has drastically slowed such processing.
Both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill said they needed a formal request for the emergency aid that included how the money would be spent.Both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill said they needed a formal request for the emergency aid that included how the money would be spent.
“O.M.B. has not been forthcoming with information right now,” said Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, the top Democrat responsible for overseeing immigration and homeland security funding.“O.M.B. has not been forthcoming with information right now,” said Representative Lucille Roybal-Allard of California, the top Democrat responsible for overseeing immigration and homeland security funding.
“We’re also asking for some accountability,” she said, adding that the priority should be to avoid layoffs.“We’re also asking for some accountability,” she said, adding that the priority should be to avoid layoffs.
Last year, when Homeland Security Department officials pressed Congress for $4.6 billion in emergency border funds, some Democrats pushed back out of concern that the money would contribute to immigration enforcement. Those suspicions only increased after a report last month from the Government Accountability Office found that Customs and Border Protection had spent $112 million of funds meant for food and medicine on all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and boats.Last year, when Homeland Security Department officials pressed Congress for $4.6 billion in emergency border funds, some Democrats pushed back out of concern that the money would contribute to immigration enforcement. Those suspicions only increased after a report last month from the Government Accountability Office found that Customs and Border Protection had spent $112 million of funds meant for food and medicine on all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes and boats.
“Congress is willing to work with the administration, but we can’t write a blank check for them to continue operating U.S.C.I.S. in a way that is running our legal immigration system into the ground,” said Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.“Congress is willing to work with the administration, but we can’t write a blank check for them to continue operating U.S.C.I.S. in a way that is running our legal immigration system into the ground,” said Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.
Democrats are not alone in saying they need more from the administration.Democrats are not alone in saying they need more from the administration.
“If they really want it, they’re going to have to formally ask for it,” said Senator Richard C. Shelby, Republican of Alabama and the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.“If they really want it, they’re going to have to formally ask for it,” said Senator Richard C. Shelby, Republican of Alabama and the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Even Danielle Spooner, the president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 119, the union that represents more than 14,100 U.S.C.I.S. employees, agreed that any of the funding should come with additional oversight.Even Danielle Spooner, the president of American Federation of Government Employees Council 119, the union that represents more than 14,100 U.S.C.I.S. employees, agreed that any of the funding should come with additional oversight.
Robert Kuhlman, a spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration had provided Congress with the appropriate request to secure the funds. “Our hope is that congressional Democrats accept our proposal to keep the lights on,” he said.Robert Kuhlman, a spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget, said the administration had provided Congress with the appropriate request to secure the funds. “Our hope is that congressional Democrats accept our proposal to keep the lights on,” he said.
A senior homeland security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue said the budget office needed to provide Congress with a formal request for the funds to be secured.A senior homeland security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the issue said the budget office needed to provide Congress with a formal request for the funds to be secured.
Both Democrats and Republicans said that they were focused on preventing the furloughs and that it was possible to include additional aid into another coronavirus relief package.Both Democrats and Republicans said that they were focused on preventing the furloughs and that it was possible to include additional aid into another coronavirus relief package.
Updated July 7, 2020 Updated July 15, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the top Republican overseeing homeland security spending, said adding aid to another coronavirus relief package could be one way to support the agency, since the pandemic had contributed to the collapse of revenue.Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, the top Republican overseeing homeland security spending, said adding aid to another coronavirus relief package could be one way to support the agency, since the pandemic had contributed to the collapse of revenue.
“We want to prevent those layoffs,” she said on Wednesday.“We want to prevent those layoffs,” she said on Wednesday.
Michael Knowles, the president of the A.F.G.E. Local 1924, said the employees he represented felt caught in the middle.Michael Knowles, the president of the A.F.G.E. Local 1924, said the employees he represented felt caught in the middle.
“You’ve got people who don’t like our administration’s policies saying, ‘Why should we give more money to fund an agency that’s being used to fund things like M.P.P.?’” Mr. Knowles said, referring to the Migrant Protection Protocols policy, which forces migrants to wait in Mexico while their cases for asylum in the United States are processed. “And then on the other hand, you’ve got people on the right wing who don’t want to fund the agency saying, ‘Why would we fund an agency who’s been giving away the key to America for years?’”“You’ve got people who don’t like our administration’s policies saying, ‘Why should we give more money to fund an agency that’s being used to fund things like M.P.P.?’” Mr. Knowles said, referring to the Migrant Protection Protocols policy, which forces migrants to wait in Mexico while their cases for asylum in the United States are processed. “And then on the other hand, you’ve got people on the right wing who don’t want to fund the agency saying, ‘Why would we fund an agency who’s been giving away the key to America for years?’”
Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended most of its activities on March 18 as states imposed social-distancing measures, delaying citizenship ceremonies for thousands of potential immigrants.Citizenship and Immigration Services suspended most of its activities on March 18 as states imposed social-distancing measures, delaying citizenship ceremonies for thousands of potential immigrants.
But the agency’s bleak finances cannot be attributed to just the pandemic, said Cristobal Ramón, the senior immigration policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist research organization in Washington. The administration has also increased vetting of applications, banned travel from many countries and instituted other policies that have deterred would-be immigrants, foreign students, travelers and temporary workers.But the agency’s bleak finances cannot be attributed to just the pandemic, said Cristobal Ramón, the senior immigration policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist research organization in Washington. The administration has also increased vetting of applications, banned travel from many countries and instituted other policies that have deterred would-be immigrants, foreign students, travelers and temporary workers.
One example is the “public charge” rule the administration put in place this year that denied immigrants green cards if they were deemed likely to use government benefit programs like food stamps or subsidized housing. Immigration advocates have said the policy has deterred many people from applying for legal permanent residence.One example is the “public charge” rule the administration put in place this year that denied immigrants green cards if they were deemed likely to use government benefit programs like food stamps or subsidized housing. Immigration advocates have said the policy has deterred many people from applying for legal permanent residence.
Citizenship and Immigration Services had forecast financial troubles long before the pandemic when it proposed raising citizenship fees for most by more than 60 percent last November.Citizenship and Immigration Services had forecast financial troubles long before the pandemic when it proposed raising citizenship fees for most by more than 60 percent last November.
“I think you will see a lot of U.S.C.I.S. employees questioning whether they want to be working there in the long term,” Mr. Ramón said. “It’s hard to wake up every morning and arrive at the office not knowing what your job is going to entail because the orders given by senior-level leadership change day to day.”“I think you will see a lot of U.S.C.I.S. employees questioning whether they want to be working there in the long term,” Mr. Ramón said. “It’s hard to wake up every morning and arrive at the office not knowing what your job is going to entail because the orders given by senior-level leadership change day to day.”
For some, that exodus has already begun. Jillian Morgan joined the agency in January 2017 to work in refugee processing but left in May after many of her colleagues had been directed to carry out policies that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico or deported them to Central America.For some, that exodus has already begun. Jillian Morgan joined the agency in January 2017 to work in refugee processing but left in May after many of her colleagues had been directed to carry out policies that forced asylum seekers to wait in Mexico or deported them to Central America.
“I joined the government to be a protection officer,” she said. But with her new assignments, “there was a high chance we would place someone in danger, and I was not comfortable being a part of that.”“I joined the government to be a protection officer,” she said. But with her new assignments, “there was a high chance we would place someone in danger, and I was not comfortable being a part of that.”
Jessica Collins, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Services, pointed to a 2019 report that showed job satisfaction at the agency was rated at 75 percent, based on a survey answered by two-thirds of the work force.Jessica Collins, a spokeswoman for Citizenship and Immigration Services, pointed to a 2019 report that showed job satisfaction at the agency was rated at 75 percent, based on a survey answered by two-thirds of the work force.
Ms. Collins also provided a statement from Mr. Edlow, the deputy director, that stressed the dire immediate future those employees now face.Ms. Collins also provided a statement from Mr. Edlow, the deputy director, that stressed the dire immediate future those employees now face.
“This week, thousands of dedicated public servants received possible furlough notices, causing concern for their livelihood during these challenging times,” Mr. Edlow said. “The last thing we want is for Congress to play politics with our work force.”“This week, thousands of dedicated public servants received possible furlough notices, causing concern for their livelihood during these challenging times,” Mr. Edlow said. “The last thing we want is for Congress to play politics with our work force.”