Reduction in FBI Security Delay Cases Posted Sep 26, 2008 ©MurthyDotCom The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the CIS Ombudsman recently announced progress in reducing the number of pending Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) name checks for foreign nationals seeking immigration benefits. The DHS's September 9, 2008 press release is available online. ©MurthyDotCom Congress Increases Funding for FBI Security Clearances ©MurthyDotCom CIS Ombudsman Michael T. Dougherty stated that Congress has provided the necessary funding for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the FBI to complete a greater number of FBI name checks in a timely manner. Delays created due to FBI name checks have been a long-standing problem. In his two most recent annual reports to Congress, the Ombudsman cited these delays as a major obstacle to issuance of permanent residency (often referred to as the "green card"), and the reason for the most complaints to the USCIS customer service. ©MurthyDotCom Reduction in Cases with Pending Security Checks ©MurthyDotCom As of May 6, 2008, the FBI reported 269,943 name checks pending. According to the press release, this number was reduced to 95,449 as of August 12, 2008. For name checks pending longer than six months, the corresponding number was reduced from 185,162 to 61,817. Regular MurthyDotCom and MurthyBulletin readers will recall a detailed discussion of USCIS and FBI plans to address name-check delays from our April 11, 2008 NewsBrief entitled, Mandamus Lawsuits Remain Effective in Immigration Cases. ©MurthyDotCom Conclusion ©MurthyDotCom In the ultimate analysis, the nation's security and integrity must be maintained without creating a bottleneck in the process involving cases that have no issues. Efforts to address the name-check delays are certainly positive. If this matter can be resolved, it will allow many eligible cases to move forward. Some of these cases have been delayed by years as a result of name-check delays. This change also should help reduce certain aspects of the USCIS workload including monitoring long-standing cases and responding to repeated inquiries on these cases. Copyright © 2008, MURTHY LAW FIRM. All Rights Reserved
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