USCIS Details Hiring, Workforce Plans During Congressional Hearing
Warren Richardson
In testimony before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security this week, U.S. Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Ur Jaddou stated that an increase in Congressional appropriations and new recruitment efforts would enable the agency to address its backlog and expanding duties.
The agency aims to onboard 3,500 employees by October, filling 95 percent of available positions. This figure will only encompass the current vacancies and does not account for anticipated workforce growth, Jaddou explained during a hearing on the agency’s fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget proposal. In recent years, the USCIS workforce has reduced due to a year-long hiring freeze that lasted through 2021 coupled with a near staff furlough amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jaddou said her approach to filling vacancies includes leveraging direct hire authorities, streamlining the hiring process, and setting clear objectives.
“I feel the reverberating effects of that threatened furlough, something USCIS has never experienced in the past. Strengthening our fiscal position, our fiscal management throughout the agency is critical,” Jaddou stated.
Currently, USCIS has 8.5 million cases awaiting adjudication, including 5.3 million that are taking longer than anticipated. USCIS recently published a rule expanding premium processing options, a step towards accelerating benefits adjudication.
In the White House's FY 2023 budget proposal, the Biden Administration requested $765 million in funds for USCIS to address backlogs—an increase from the FY 2022 omnibus package which included $275 million in funds to address the backlog.
Beyond hiring, Jaddou further noted funding is also an issue. Immigration fees primarily fund the agency, but as asylum seekers and refugees do not pay fees, the agency’s funding has not been sufficient to match its responsibilities. According to Jaddou, the agency requires support from Congress to fulfill its expanded responsibilities, including processing benefits for refugees.
“This is the most pressing challenge facing this agency right now,” stated Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee.
Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) expressed concern over the proposed funding shift and hiring requirements, saying they could increase bureaucracy and divert resources from core responsibilities.
“We should be very cautious about shifting the burden of these services away from individual fee payers,” Rep. Fleischmann stated.
USCIS is considering what responsibilities to take on in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Jaddou raised this during the hearing noting President Biden’s announcement that the United States would welcome 100,000 Ukrainians.
The administration has not yet detailed all the legal options for assisting Ukrainians, the process will likely include refugee status. Moreover, the agency anticipates playing a role in processing an anticipated uptick in immigrants at the border as the Biden Administration has lifted the Title 42 authority that has largely blocked asylum seekers during the pandemic.