On June 5, 2008, several U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS"), the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and the Attorney General's Office, under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") ...
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On June 5, 2008, several U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of Florida against U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services ("USCIS"), the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI"), and the Attorney General's Office, under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("INA") and the Administrative Procedure Act ("APA"). The plaintiffs, represented by the Florida Immigrant Advocacy Center and private counsel, sought declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, attorneys' fees, and approval of all of the plaintiffs' naturalization applications, alleging that the defendants had unlawfully and unreasonably delayed rendering a decision on the plaintiffs' naturalization applications.
The plaintiffs all had applications for naturalization (citizenship) that had been delayed for 2-4 years after they had completed their citizenship interviews. The plaintiffs argued that they met all of the statutory requirements of becoming a U.S. citizen and that federal law dictated that naturalization applications should be decided within 120 days. They also argued that federal law provided that where applicants met all legal requirements for naturalization, USCIS "shall grant" the application. As a result of the long delays in the adjudication of their applications, the plaintiffs claimed that they suffered hardship, such as anxiety over their immigration applications, prolonged family separations, ineligibility for certain employment opportunities or public benefits, and the exclusion from the political process due to their inability to vote.
On October 1, 2008, the plaintiffs filed their first amended complaint. On November 28, 2008, the District Court (Judge Federico A. Moreno) granted the defendants' motion to remand the plaintiffs' application back down to USCIS for adjudication. If the defendants failed to adjudicate the plaintiffs' applications within 90 days, then the plaintiffs would be able to refile their claim. The District Court also denied the motions for class certification and denied all other motions as moot.
Perry Miska - 03/24/2014
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