Miranda & Maldonado, P.C.

06/03/2026

The USCIS Backlog Has Tripled. What Does the Data Tell Us?

The phrase "the U.S. immigration system is broken" gets used a lot, but a new interactive dashboard from the American Immigration Council puts hard numbers to the breakdown.

For the first time, nearly a decade of USCIS data (over 20,000 data points across 190+ application types) has been compiled into one comprehensive view. The insights reveal a system under immense strain, shaped heavily by shifting administrative policies and pandemic-era bottlenecks.

Key Takeaways from the Data:

The Backlog Explosion: The USCIS backlog has more than tripled over the last decade, skyrocketing from 3.5 million cases in FY2016 to a staggering 11.6 million cases by the end of FY2025.

Clearance Times Are Lengthening: At recent processing capacities, it would take an estimated 13.8 months just to clear the existing backlog.
Spikes in Specific Forms: Temporary Protected Status (TPS) applications saw a massive 150% surge in pending cases recently, while pending green card-related employment authorizations (EADs) more than doubled.
Rising Denial Rates: Overall denial rates remain elevated at 11.1%, with certain categories seeing sharp increases. For instance, EAD applications for those adjusting status saw denial rates jump from 5.1% to 13.6%.

Why This Matters

Behind every data point is an applicant, a family, or an employer trying to navigate a sluggish and increasingly unpredictable system. Prolonged processing times don't just increase hardships for applicants—they force duplicate filings, drain agency resources, and disrupt talent pipelines for U.S. businesses.
Data transparency is the first step toward meaningful reform. This new tool is an invaluable resource for policymakers, employers, and immigration advocates trying to understand the operational realities of legal immigration today.
Read the full analysis and explore the trends here: American Immigration Council Blog

https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/blog/uscis-backlogs-processing-trends-dashboard/

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

05/22/2026

USCIS: Most green card applicants must apply while outside US.

The newly released USCIS policy memorandum (PM-602-0199) reinforces that Adjustment of Status is an extraordinary form of relief granted strictly as a matter of administrative grace rather than an automatic right.

This critical update signals significantly increased scrutiny for permanent residency applicants within the U.S., explicitly directing officers to evaluate the totality of an applicant's circumstances and heavily weigh past immigration violations, unauthorized employment, and failures to depart as adverse discretionary factors. Because the memo emphasizes that the default path to immigration is intended to be regular consular processing from abroad, applicants must now successfully demonstrate that their cases warrant a favorable exercise of discretion, which may require a showing of unusual or outstanding equities to offset any negative history.

This shift carries major implications for holders of single-intent temporary visas—such as F-1 students, TN professionals, J-1 exchange visitors, B2 visitors—whose categories require them to maintain a strict expectation of departing the U.S.. While the guidance explicitly protects dual-intent categories like H-1B and L-1 visas by noting that adjusting status is not inherently inconsistent with maintaining those statuses, it notes that simply holding lawful status is not enough on its own to guarantee approval.

For single-intent visa holders, filing for adjustment of status directly contravenes Congressional expectations to depart, meaning that any subsequent compliance gaps, unauthorized employment, or immediate filings after entry will be scrutinized heavily as adverse factors that could trigger a discretionary denial unless overcome by robust positive equities.
Miranda & Maldonado, P.C.

05/31/2025

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that DOS will collaborate with DHS to revoke visas for Chinese students, particularly those "with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." Additionally, the Department of State will revise visa criteria to increase scrutiny of all future visa applications from China and Hong Kong.

05/31/2025

Today the The U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay allowing DHS to revoke parole for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan parolees while the litigation continues. This follows a 4/15/25 emergency stay entered by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani staying the revocation. (Noem v. Doe, 5/30/25).

Hoy, la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos otorgó una suspensión que permite al Departamento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS) revocar la libertad condicional de cubanos, haitianos, nicaragüenses y venezolanos mientras continúa el litigio. Esto sigue a una suspensión de emergencia emitida el 15/4/2025 por la jueza de distrito Indira Talwani, que suspendió la revocación (Noem v. Doe, 30/5/2025).

04/17/2025

⚠️ WARNING!!! DHS is now very aggressive in reviewing your social media. Anything you post could be used against you, whether at time of entering the U.S. or even inside the U.S., whether you are a nonimmigrant, green card holder, or U.S. citizen.

⚠️ ¡¡¡ADVERTENCIA!!! Inmigracion está revisando sus redes sociales con mucha intensidad. Cualquier publicación que haga podría usarse en su contra, ya sea al ingresar a EE. UU. o incluso dentro del país, independientemente de si es no inmigrante, titular de una tarjeta de residencia permanente o ciudadano estadounidense.

01/21/2025

Imformacion Impotante!

Recuerda si estas en los Estados Unidos tienen los mismos derechos que un ciudadano americano al respecto de representación legal y del consulado de tu país.

Si te piden identificarse, simplemente proporciona tu nombre y permanece en silencio.
No firmes documentos que no entiendas y si se te pide firmar algo, puedes decir:

“I refuse to sign any document. I want to speak to a lawyer” (Me niego a firmar cualquier documento. Quiero hablar con un abogado).

En caso de arresto, se tiene derecho a solicitar un abogado. La frase recomendada es :
“I want to speak to a lawyer” (Quiero hablar con un abogado). Además, recuerda hacer una llamada en las primeras horas de detención:

“I want to make a call” (Quiero hacer una llamada).

Solicita hablar con el consulado:

“I am a Mexico citizen and I want to speak to my consulate” (Soy ciudadano mexicano y quiero hablar con mi consulado).

No firmes documentos que no entiendas y si se te pide firmar algo, puedes decir:

“I refuse to sign any document. I want to speak to a lawyer” (Me niego a firmar cualquier documento. Quiero hablar con un abogado).

Consejos de conducta

Tambien recomendamos a los a los inmigrantes:

Mantener la calma y seguir las indicaciones de los oficiales.
No opongas resistencia ni forcejees, y no reveles tu situación migratoria.
No muestres documentos falsos ni brindes información falsa.
Evita conducir bajo la influencia del alcohol o dr**as, sin licencia de conducir o sin seguro.

11/12/2024

We are proud to be one of the sponsor for the 4th Annual Laredo Customs Gold Classic taking place this weekend in Laredo, Texas

08/28/2024

Come with us, we are here to help.
📞(915) 587-5000

08/22/2024

Si es usted elegible para solicitar el nuevo programa del presidente Biden. Póngase en contacto con nosotros hoy, para iniciar su solicitud de libertad condicional para no ciudadanos cónyuges e hijastros de ciudadanos estadounidenses.

Llámanos y programa una cita: 📞📞📞(915) 587-5000

08/19/2024

Are you eligible to apply for the new program by president Biden. Contact us today to start your Application for Parole in Place for Certain Noncitizen Spouses and Stepchildren of U.S. Citizens