Lawmakers Press DHS, USCIS on Casework

Seventy-two members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a formal demand to the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services on August 27, 2026. The bipartisan group, led by Democratic Representative Bill Foster, cited an "alarming" pattern of errors in the agency's responses to congressional inquiries about constituents' immigration cases.

The letter was addressed to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and USCIS Director Joseph Edlow. It challenges the accuracy and accountability of the agency's congressional liaison process, a formal channel used to seek updates or explanations for individuals facing immigration issues.

Lawmakers Cite Specific Casework Failures

The lawmakers described a breakdown in a critical assistance channel. They said replies from USCIS have been sent to the wrong congressional office, identified the wrong constituent, or cited incorrect case numbers. Some responses failed to answer the submitted question entirely.

Three specific examples were cited in the letter. One response omitted a requested explanation. Another addressed a different issue than the one raised. A third reply concerning a work permit contained dates that did not match postal records.

Generic No-Reply Responses Hinder Follow-Up

The members said many replies now arrive from a generic no-reply email address and are signed only "Congressional Liaison." This format, lacking a named point of contact, leaves congressional staff with no direct way to correct errors or seek clarification.

According to the lawmakers, this has created a cycle of repeated inquiries. Caseworkers must send additional messages, and USCIS personnel must revisit correspondence that did not resolve the original request. They argue this wastes time on both sides and delays vital assistance.

The group's composition was 71 Democrats and 1 Republican. Their complaint reflects broader congressional frustration with replies described as increasingly generic, less accurate, and harder to escalate. The letter frames these shortcomings as an operational problem directly affecting constituent aid.

The Role of Congressional Immigration Casework

Members of Congress use this formal casework channel to ask USCIS about individual constituents' matters. It is often employed when delays or errors affect families, separated spouses, children, people fleeing conflict, or those waiting for work permits. An inquiry does not replace the underlying application but allows an office to request information and raise unresolved problems.

The lawmakers warned that failures in this process consume agency resources on avoidable follow-up instead of resolving cases. Their letter asks DHS and USCIS leadership to address the correspondence problems identified. The final detail noted was the lawmakers' description of the current system as "a cycle of repeated inquiries that wastes caseworkers’ time and delays assistance for constituents."