Murthy Takes Action : Seeking Funding for TSC
Posted Apr 11, 2003

Over the past year, we have seen a number of questions on the MurthyForum and in sessions of the MurthyChat concerning the Texas Service Center's (TSC) slow processing times for employment-based I-485 applications. The TSC has repeatedly informed AILA that the reason for the delays is simply that they have a limited number of people to process all cases and do not have funds to hire sufficient adjudicators to complete the employment-based I-485 processing more quickly.

The Service Centers are assigned resources for the purpose of hiring more staff based on the amount of funding Congress previously allocated to INS and now gives to the DHS for immigration services. In the past, money has not been earmarked specifically for immigration services and a large portion of the funding went to immigration enforcement. Now that the BCIS has no enforcement functions, it is time that the immigration services receive its own, targeted piece of the funding pie.

We at The Law Office of Sheela Murthy, P.C. realized that asking for faster processing times at the Texas Service Center would never be effective if we did not address the root of the problem – namely, inadequate funding for immigration services. Therefore, we have gone to the source. Last week, we sent letters to the 150 Congressional members who represent the states within the TSC's jurisdiction to request that they provide more funding to immigration related services. In these letters we have cited the employment-based I-485 processing as an area that desperately needs improvement.

It is our hope that the members of Congress who receive our letter now will be aware of this problem with immigration services funding and will sponsor legislation to put more money in the hands of the TSC for these cases to be adjudicated within a reasonable timeframe. We have expressed our willingness to work with any Congressional member who is interested in this issue.

It is imperative in this country to make our voices heard and, thus, contribute to the improvement of immigration services. Once again, we encourage each of you, also, to take the time to learn who your Congressional members are and let them know what issues are important to you. Information on Congressional members and their constituencies is available through the House and Senate websites. You need not write to 150 Congressional members to make a difference. You may just need to contact one or two of your Senators or House members to influence U.S. immigration policy. Your eMails and letters do make a difference. At the end of each week, letters from constituents are counted and taken into account when sponsoring legislation or voting for a particular Bill to become the law. Be a part of democracy at work and let your voice be heard, loud and clear!