CameroonOnline.org Cameroon news, Actualité Camerounaise, live Web TV & Radio, World News and a lot more
Related Articles
CameroonOnline.ORG | The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has quietly suspended a key resource for immigrants by placing the entire staff of the USCIS Ombudsman’s office on a 60-day administrative leave. This action, taken on March 21, 2025, has effectively shut down a vital office that helped thousands of individuals resolve problems with their visa and green card applications. Though the office has not been officially closed, immigration experts view this move as a possible step toward permanent restructuring—or even elimination.
The Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman was established by Congress through the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Its purpose is to assist individuals facing problems with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The office acts as an independent oversight body, identifying trends in service issues, correcting mistakes, and recommending improvements. For many immigrants, especially those dealing with complicated or delayed cases, the Ombudsman has been a critical ally.
In 2023 alone, the office handled around 30,000 assistance requests. These included correcting wrongful rejections, fixing errors on key immigration documents, and resolving stalled applications. H-1B visa holders, international students on F-1 visas, and green card applicants frequently turned to the Ombudsman when standard USCIS processes failed them. In many cases, action from the Ombudsman led to resolution in weeks rather than months.
Now, with the staff on administrative leave, many of those avenues are effectively closed. There has been no official guidance from DHS on how pending cases will be handled. Immigrants with urgent needs may have to turn to congressional offices or private immigration attorneys to get help. This places additional strain on already overwhelmed resources and removes an important layer of independent oversight.
DHS says the decision is part of a broader effort to streamline operations and focus more heavily on immigration enforcement and border security. According to the department, offices like the Ombudsman’s have slowed down enforcement efforts. Immigration advocates strongly disagree. They argue that USCIS is primarily a benefits agency—not an enforcement body—and that independent oversight is necessary to ensure fair treatment and transparency in the immigration process.
The same administrative leave order also affected two other oversight offices: the Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties and the Office of the Immigration Detention Ombudsman. Critics, including legal organizations and several Democratic lawmakers, have raised concerns that these suspensions weaken accountability within the immigration system. They emphasize that offices like these are not only helpful but often required by law.
For immigrants navigating an already complex and often frustrating system, the suspension of the Ombudsman’s office introduces even more uncertainty. Those who previously relied on its support now face limited options. The best course of action for those affected is to consult with an immigration attorney.
As immigration policy continues to evolve, the closure—temporary or not—of this independent problem-solving office leaves a noticeable gap in support for individuals trying to live, study, or work legally in the United States.
