USCIS delays permanent residence application based on guilt-by-association

USCIS decision is pending after six years. 

MLFA’s client came to the U.S. for school. She reverted to Islam in college and filed a marriage-based green card application in 2018. USCIS paused its processing of her case after multiple interviews so the FBI could question her spouse about a specific mosque he attended. She was trapped abroad for 3 ½ years when her permission to return expired during COVID-19 restrictions.

Verdict/Ruling: USCIS decision is pending after six years. 

IMPACT

MLFA’s persistence forced USCIS to resume processing her case despite its efforts to deny it when she was trapped outside the U.S.