HOUSE PASSES BILL TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY FUNDING FOR USCIS

On Saturday, August 22, 2020, House lawmakers unanimously passed a bill to provide emergency funding to USCIS, which is planning to furlough around 70% of its employees at the end of this month.

In a written statement, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.), the bill's sponsor, said the legislation should encourage the administration to delay its planned furloughs, which would affect about 13,400 employees. Lawmakers have asked the agency's leadership and the DHS, to delay the furloughs in light of its improving budget outlook. Unlike nearly all other federal agencies, USCIS funds itself through the fees it charges for citizenship and other immigration applications.