Under Pressure From AILF and Allies, CSC Begins
Processing Family Unity Renewals

March 23, 2000

The California Service Center (CSC) reportedly has begun processing long-stalled applications for renewal of Family Unity status (Form I-817).   The applications had been severely backlogged; at last report, extension applications with filing dates of April 1997 were still pending. 

Family Unity is the program established by Congress to provide a stay of deportation and employment authorization to immediate family members of lawful permanent residents who obtained that status through the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 ("amnesty").

Recently the American Immigration Law Foundation, the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, and the National Immigration Law Center announced that they were investigation the CSC Family Unity applications situation.  Our intention was to file a class action against the INS if it did not commence processing these applications.  We have been hearing from many individuals who have been waiting years for their applications to be processed, and have been preparing the litigation. 

Almost immediately the CSC announced that it has made the processing of Family Unity cases priority.  It appears that the long-delayed renewal applications finally are being granted.