Impacts of Government Shutdown on Immigration

The shutdown of the U.S. government yesterday does impact some immigration services.  Because USCIS is funded primarily by the filing fees paid by applicants, it is almost fully operational with the primary exception being the adjudication of asylum applications.  Visa services also continue to operate at the U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.  The biggest impact of the shutdown is in the removal/deportation context.  Immigration courts not handling detained cases are closed and ICE attorney offices are at minimal staffing.  Non-detained cases will be re-scheduled but the shutdown will exacerbate the already-long backlogs at immigration courts.