Dire straits at Boston USCIS office

Dire straits at local USCIS office operating normally amid coronavirus

“It’s a very bad situation at work and USCIS is going to end up killing someone,” said an employee at the local US Citizenship and Immigration Services office. The person spoke on condition of anonymity, describing dozens of officers sharing one container of Lysol wipes, and fear of getting the new coronavirus.

The USCIS agent described not being given gloves, poor quality soap in bathrooms that won’t lather, and complete chaos. Receptionists wear gloves, and interviewing officers are politely noting that hands should not be shaken. That’s about it.

As schools, government offices, courts, and almost every facet of Massachusetts life is put on pause, the local citizenship and immigration services office continues to operate, and has not issued a statement on whether it will shut down.

That’s a problem, say many, because the waiting room for the office is known to have hundreds of people day, all at risk for getting and potentially carry the rapidly spreading COVID-19. Many immigrants have no idea what is going on.

“The clients I’ve spoken to over the past two weeks asked questions like “Will my interview get delayed? or “Will this slow down our process?” said Lexington immigration attorney Andrew Howard. Ninety percent of the clients he represents, for status cases or in immigration court, are Brazilian and rely heavily on him for updates.

“People are in the dark. Immigrants aren’t really as aware of the virus as others are, and it’s a privilege for them to work remotely, “said Veronica Serrato, executive director of Project Citizenship, which helps immigrants with naturalization, a process handled by USCIS. She added that most of her clients aren’t on Facebook and social media and can’t just follow whatever USCIS posts that way.

The major problem is that there has not been an across the board rule. Right now, attorneys can call a 1–800 number or send an interview notice with a request to reschedule to USCIS. But there’s no certainty that the request will be accepted. With their own money and months of waiting for interviews on the line, and years of waiting for green cards, many clients are hesitant to reschedule.

USCIS has a post on its site saying people who feel ill can request rescheduling. But this, Howard says, is flawed because some people don’t show symptoms of COVID-19 and may think they’re fine, and clients are reluctant to put in a request when they can’t 100 percent be assured it will be granted so their case doesn’t drag on for years.

“USCIS is working closely with our partners across DHS and the federal government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said a spokesman for USCIS. “USCIS takes the health and safety of our workforce seriously and has instructed the agency workforce to follow CDC guidelines to prevent the spread of respiratory and influenza disease. Accordingly, USCIS will continually assess protocols in place and will evaluate whether further precautions may become necessary.”

Serrato and her many pro bono attorney volunteers are concerned because a significant percentage of their clients are over 60, and public health officials have recommended that seniors stay inside and keep away from others who may have been exposed to COVID-19. Some of her clients under the age of 60 have health problems or disabilities that could also make going outside risky, let alone a crowded office.

There’s also a shortage of interpreters, says Janeth Moreno who runs an immigration firm in Boston. “One of my clients from Columbia wants to get the interview done, but for most of the status interviews, we need interpreters. They haven’t been available because they haven’t wanted to go outside [their houses]. It’s a challenge we’re trying to overcome.” Moreno has had some luck in filing requests for postponements, but thinks there needs to be an across the board rule issued, and it needs to happen fast. Already working remotely to help immigrant clients, Moreno worries about her attorneys and clients stepping into a waiting room that often has at last 40 people at a time, and little ventilation.

“The majority of our clients are worried. They’re also concerned the government will force them to be there — force them to appear and there will be consequences against them,” Moreno said.

Howard is hoping that USCIS can follow the White House’s updated guidelines, which is to avoid congregating more than 10 people at a time, and reschedule all interviews though April 6.

“It seems off that the Department of Homeland Security, charged with protecting us from threats at home, is seemingly the last to react to the reality of the pandemic.”