USCIS updates intake policies and halts application of the rejection policy in response to Vangala v. USCIS
This note was originally published by the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project on 14 January 2021.
In November 2020, immigration advocates filed a national class action lawsuit against US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) challenging the agency policy of rejecting benefits applications for having blank response fields. The suit is Vangala v. USCIS, No. 4:20-cv-08143- HSG (N.D. Cal.). Following suit, USCIS agreed to pause implementation of the rejection policy starting December 23, 2020 while the parties engage in settlement negotiations.
In January 2021, USCIS shared updated guidance directing adjudicators to cease rejecting asylum applications(Form I-589) and U visa applications (Form I-918). Specifically, the updated guidance rescinded prior guidance implementing the “rejection policy” instructing adjudicators to reject applications with blank response fields. [Read more here.]
