There’s a long tradition in the U.S. (and around the world) of blaming minorities for natural disasters. Conveniently, the people targeted for this type of scapegoating are usually powerless, and are often already despised by the people doing the blaming. The present pandemic is no exception. A clergyman who teaches Bible classes at the White House recently posted a piece, asking in response to the coronavirus, Is G-d Judging America Today? The predictable answer is yes, and the predictable reason is related to “sins” such as “environmentalism” (gasp!) and “homosexuality” (double gasp!).
But how do we know which sins result in divine punishment? And what communal penalty is appropriate for a particular sin? Was 9-11 heavenly retribution for abortion (per Jerry Falwell)? Did Hurricane Katrina devastate New Orleans in retaliation for that city’s support of a gay pride parade (John Hagee)? And was Hurricane Harvey sent to drown Houston because it elected a lesbian mayor (Kevin Swanson)?
I’m not normally a fan of attributing natural disasters to human sins, but since it’s Passover–a holiday where we remember ten plagues visited upon the Egyptians for enslaving Jews–I thought I might give the whole “divine retribution” thing a try.
And now that I think about it, the idea that G-d is punishing us with a virus doesn’t seem all that far fetched. After all, the Egyptians suffered boils, so there is obviously precedent for sending a disease to smite wrongdoers. But which sin would trigger a coronavirus pandemic? Certainly not the “sin” of homosexuality. That causes hurricanes. Obviously.
When you look at what’s happening in our country and the world, it seems pretty clear which sin is responsible for our current troubles–the sin of xenophobia. What’s that you say? You object? You say that xenophobia is not a sin? Let’s take a look at our handy Bible to learn more–
Exodus 12:49 – There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you.
Exodus 22:20 – You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:33-34 – When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Numbers 15:14-16 – There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law for all time throughout the ages. You and the stranger shall be alike before the Lord; the same ritual and the same rule shall apply to you and to the stranger who resides among you.
Deuteronomy 27:19 – Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.
Etc., etc., etc. You get the idea. We are commanded–repeatedly–to treat the stranger as we treat the citizen. Those who mistreat the stranger will be cursed. So the Biblical foundation for our current troubles is clear.
But as our President loves to point out, the coronavirus began in China. Are they guilty of xenophobia? Indeed. Not long after Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, the Chinese government started implementing a series of increasingly restrictive measures against the Uyghur ethnic minority. These include forcing as many as one million men, women, and children into “re-education” camps in order to change their political and religious thinking to be more aligned with Communist Party ideology. To students of the Passover story, the persecution of the Uyghurs sounds eerily familiar–
Exodus 1:8-10 – A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph [a leader among the Israelites]. And [the king] said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are much too numerous for us. Let us deal shrewdly with them, so that they may not increase; otherwise in the event of war they may join our enemies in fighting against us and rise from the ground.”
And so the pharaoh enslaved the Jews. The rest, as they say, is history.
What about the United States? We are now the epicenter of the disease. Why are we being subject to G-d’s wrath? The obvious answer is that we have failed to treat citizens and strangers in a like manner. We have wronged the strangers who live among us. How?
Even before President Trump came to power, our country treated non-citizens and citizens differently. There are good reasons for doing so, of course: National security, preserving the welfare state, assimilating new arrivals in an orderly way. But some of the differences seemed less-well grounded in sound public policy: Mass immigration raids, private prisons, limited due process. Since President Trump’s ascension, though, our immigration policies have been driven by lies and xenophobia: Separation of children from parents, dramatically reduced protections for certain asylum seekers (particularly women fleeing domestic violence), the Muslim ban, the virtual elimination of due process at the Southern border, the draconian and nonsensical public charge rule, expansion of expedited removal, and on and on. We’ve also been subject to plenty of lies about non-citizens: Asylum seekers are rapists, criminals, and fraudsters, refugees burden our economy, Mexico will pay for the wall. Not to mention the coddling of white supremacists in Charlottesville and elsewhere. All this has resulted in a terrifying and inhospitable environment for non-citizens in the U.S. today.
Thus, it’s painfully obvious that we as a nation are failing to love the stranger as we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:34), that we are wronging and oppressing the stranger (Exodus 22:20), and that we have different laws for the stranger and the citizen (Numbers 15:14). Given all this, it’s not surprising that we have been cursed (Deuteronomy 27:19). The coronavirus is the manifestation of this curse; it is divine wrath for our sin of xenophobia. I suggest we put on sack cloth and self-quarantine for two weeks to repent.
Of course, I don’t really believe that the pandemic is divine retribution for the sin of xenophobia (or for any other sin). However, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that our mistreatment of “the other” is making things worse. Why do certain Immigration Courts remain open, forcing non-citizens and everyone involved in the system to risk their health? Why are we continuing to detain asylum seekers in unsafe conditions, even those who do not pose a danger to the community? Why do we deny economic relief to some immigrants (health care workers, agricultural workers, service industry employees) who are on the front line of the fight against the disease and who are working to keep the rest of us safe and fed?
As I see it, there is great wisdom in the words of the Bible, which make clear that we are all in this together. We will succeed or fail against the disease not as citizens and strangers, but as people, united in our common effort. The coronavirus does not discriminate based on nationality or race. Neither should we.
Hi Jason.
You have been going to the Arlington asylum office interviews for years. What is the racial composition of asylum officers? Are the a diverse group of people, or are disproportionately white?
Its hard to say, as they seem only to stay there for a year or two before they move on. I do some some officers who are immigrants. I have also seem officers who are African American or Asian. However, as I recall, the majority are white, and most are women. Take care, Jason
hey jason, hope you are good and healthy.
i’m a green card holder through asylum, hoping to apply for the citizenship in 3 years. i recently lost my job due to covid-19 and want to apply for unemployment but i’m afraid it might affect my application for citizenship later since ive heard immigrant who get government’s assistance might have a harder time becoming a citizen. would you please let me know your thoughts on this?
i appreciate your attention, with many thanks 🙂
There should be no effect. The public charge rules do not apply to people who got asylum or to people with a green card. And even so, unemployment is generally not considered a public charge issue. In short, there should be no effect on your GC or your citizenship case if you get unemployment. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason and whole asylum community
I just want to share with you all that i have received my stimulus payment today. I am with pending asylum and waiting for individual hearing. I have filed taxes for 2017,2018,2019 and have direct deposit with irs. I hope this information will help someone and everyone from this group should receive payment.
Stay strong people and god bless all.
Thank you Jason
Thank you for sharing, Jason
Hi Jason. Thanks for your help during this time. Iam permanant resident through asylum. And my wife and kids also here with me. After 1 year I applied there green card application. And yesterday uscis rejected my family fees waiver request and said that we resubmit application. So my question is my lawyer from Irc they are closed due to covid 19. So is there any time limit to resubmit the application ? They said that I didn’t provide current pay stub. So I have to resubmit whole application or only fee waiver request. Kindly guide me sir. Thanks.
You can either re-submit it yourself or wait to talk to the lawyer. But there should be no problem if you have to wait to talk to the lawyer. The only issue would be if you became a US citizen before your family receives their green cards (if that happens, they lose their asylum status and have to go through an annoying process to get it back). But maybe you can look at the reason why the application was rejected, correct it, and re-send with the fee waiver request. Take care, Jason
Dear jason
I have a pending asylum since five years
Today alot of my friend received 1200$ directly to their account as a stimulus package- why dont we receive we also work and have SSN its been four years since we work???
I dont know who shud i talk to i dont work and i applied for unemployment benefits they rejected me as well because of my status
I do not know if all the money is coming today or whether it might take longer for some people. I think for those who do not pay taxes using automatic withdrawals from their account, they have to get a paper check, and that will take longer. I did a post two weeks ago about the stimulus check. There are some links there that might help you learn more, but based on what you write, it sounds to me like you are eligible for the payment. Take care, Jason
Hi Jojo,
If you have filed either 2018 or 2019 taxes, you should receive the $12,00 as a direct deposit to your account soon, but if you were not able to file taxes because of low income then use the “Non-Filers: Enter Your Payment Info Here” application to provide simple information so you can get your payment. This is the linkhttps://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/economic-impact-payments.
Dear Jason
After my interview waiting for 8 months i asked ombudsman office to help today ombudsman office sent this email “ The Arlington Asylum Office can confirm that Mr. ****** case will be assigned to an officer for case completion. You are encouraged to follow up on behalf of Mr**** if he does not receive any correspondence from USICS within 60 days of receiving this email ( i got this email from Ombudsman office) can you interpret please
Hopefully, it is positive news. Though I am not sure how much they are working at the asylum office given the pandemic. In any event, if nothing happens in 60 days, you can follow up, but hopefully, you will get a positive decision soon. Take care, Jason
Thank you i should wait n see the result
Ho sure are you that its gonna be a positive news? Have ever had this kind of message for any of your client??
This message only has to do with whether you will get a decision. It tells you nothing about whether the decision will be good or bad. Hopefully, it will be good news. Take care, Jason
Maybe your case is different but I have already received almost the same message twice but I haven’t gotten any decision yet. Good luck
For a positive vibe, I have received $1200 from IRS, so if you are pending asylee and did taxes in last two or three years, you should be able to receive.
Hope everyone gets it, All asylees deserves it in these hard times.
Hi Jason,
Thank you for what you do
I went to my interview in June 2017
In August 2017 I received “recommended approval”
Nothing since.
I had my attorney send them written requests for information-no response
I emailed inquiries to their email system 3 times- the response it “your case is pending”
I contacted my state’s Congressman office, their Immigration representative communicated with the USCIS on my behalf and got a response that my case was bumped up due to her(Congressman’s rep) request and it is in review with supervisor, and that I should follow up in 65 days. In 65 days I followed up with Congressman’s rep and she contacted USCIS again and they said to follow up in 65 days (again). It is now past that second 65 days period. I am not following up again due to the COVID situation…
My question is – may this communication lead to the USCIS’s decision anytime soon? Or is it another form of limbo where I’ll be asked to follow up in 65 days for eternity?
Any input much appreciated. Thank you!
There is no way to predict. Though, I would at least make one more inquiry once things reopen. If all else fails, you might consider a mandamus lawsuit – we wrote about that on October 2, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your support to the asylum community over the years. I do have a question…
I am an asylee (asylum granted). I and my derivatives (husband and two kids) applied for GC based on the granted asylum in June 2019. Our biometrics is taken, and we are waiting for our case to be processed. My husband’s employer sponsored his H1B. Now the employer wants to sponsor his (and families) EB-2. We are confused about having two active permanent residence cases with the USCIS at the same time. What do you advise?
Thank you and Stay Safe
Gabby
Hi Gabriel,
Hope everything will be alright soon for you.
Could you please tell me which service center did you sent your documents ( Texas are Nebraska).
Thanks
John
There is no good reason to seek an EB2 GC, at least as far as I can see. The GC is already pending and will likely arrive before any EB2 GC. Also, when you get the asylum-based GC, it will be back-dated one year, which will get you all to your US citizenship more quickly. The only thing I can think of, maybe, is that an EB2 can be expedited (but not if it is an NIW). I do not do such cases, and so I do not remember whether the I-485 portion can be expedited. If so, maybe that is a reason, but given that your asylum-based GC has a 9 month head start, and that that GC will be back dated, I do not know if you will gain much even if you can expedite the EB2 GC. Take care, Jason
dear Jason
i would like to learn whether the covid-19 pamdemic has affected the asylum timelines or not? I mean if you file an application now is it again 4-6 weeks for the interview ? also is the backlog in the immigration courts system worse now ? if your case gets rejected and goes to court, did the average wait times od 1-2 years also increase or not ? thank you
The asylum offices are closed and we do not know when they will reopen (I think they are currently closed until early May, but that likely will be extended). For this reason, I doubt many cases filed during the sbutdown will get an interview anytime soon. When things reopen, I do expect cases to move more quickly, since they have hired many more asylum offices and since the Southern border is basically closed and asylum officers will not have to do much work down there (and thus will be able to focus on affirmatively filed cases). Take care,Jason
dera Jason
thanks. but what about the immigration court system ? are the wait times for immugration courts also increased ?
The courts are closed for non-detained cases through May 1, and I expect closures will continue after that. For cases that are scheduled when the court is closed, they will be postponed. Until when, no one knows. For cases scheduled after the courts reopen (whenever that may be), they should not be effected. Take care, Jason
Dear Jason,
I don’t really have question but all I wanna say is Thank you very much for your relentless efforts to help people like us. God bless you.
Kind Regards
Thank you. Take care, Jason
Hi, Jason,
My friend just received his EAD card, he’s been waiting for 8 months for it, but photo on the ead is not the one he submitted with the application, it’s his photo, but he doesn’t even remember where it’s from and how/why it’s on his ead, other info is correct. Can he still use this ead? Or what should he do in this situation?
If it’s his photo, he should be fine. It is probably a photo USCIS took at a biometrics appointment and that they still have in their system. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I am a middle easter female asylum seeker. I had my asylum interview recently in the Arlington office. I heard that middle eastern men get 3-4 year delays. My husband is included in my application as dependent. Do you think his inclusion will make our case last years?
Sometimes certain cases have long delays, and men from Muslim countries tend to be slow. Not always. Also, for whatever nonsensical reason, I think delays are not as bad when the man is a dependent. In short, there is no way to know whether your case will face a long delay at this point, and if there is a delay, there is no way to know whether the reason was because of you, your husband or something else. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason
Please I would like ask, I received a speeding ticket of 200$ and after I paid it the judge stated it won’t go on my record. Should I mention it where in the form I 485 they ask about « have you ever been cited or arrested? »
If you are not sure, it is best to mention it and include a copy. There is no harm in this, and it avoids any chance of a problem. In general, traffic offenses are not an issue for immigration cases and do not normally need to be mentioned. Take care, Jason
Dear sir
I come to US with vacation visa with my family and My wife is about to ask asylum. My father is US citizen and applied i130 to immigration on behalf of my family. My question is …does my wife asylum request going to affect my family i130 request if she her case is not accepted.
It would not affect the I-130, but if the I-130 is almost current, it may make more sense to wait for that and get your green cards based on her father, rather than start the asylum process. Also, if you are here on asylum pending and your B visas expire, you could probably only get your GCs based on her father if you leave the US and process the case at a US embassy. I wrote about that on August 28, 2018. Talk to a lawyer if you are not sure about this. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I came to the US with tourist visa and changed my status to student.after eleven month of my entry, i applied for asylum.do you think this could have negative effect on my asylum case? in addition, I did not bring all my school diplomas here. should I have them during asylum interview or it is irrelevant.
Thanks
I do not see why changing your status would affect your asylum case, but I do not know the facts of your case, so I cannot be sure. Normally, it would have no effect. As for your education record, I also do not know whether it is relevant to your asylum claim. For our clients, we try to submit all education documents, just to give USCIS an idea about the client’s life and history, but in most cases, such documents are not particularly important. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
I am an asylee. I will apply for my GC (one year after asylum granted) soon. In the form I-485, there is a question that asks if I ever violated the terms or conditions of nonimmigrant visa. Before my asylum status, I was here in the USA with a J-1 visa which had two years home residency requirement (2 years bar). Given that my asylum got approved and I didn’t need to leave USA for my 2 years home residency. Should I answer the above question NO or YES? What do you think?
Probably the answer is no. However, I would circle the question and write “See cover letter” or “See supplement page,” In the cover letter or supplement page (at the end of the form), you should provide an explanation. Asylum does erase the home-residency requirement, and so the only issue is that you do not want USCIS thinking that you are trying to hide something by answer no. If you provide an explanation, it should cover that problem (if you answer yes, you also have to provide an explanation). Take care, Jason
I thank Jason and all of you for your contributions to this platform.
I wonder if there are even people in the same situation like me.
It’s been 20 months that I have been waiting for my decision from the Chicago Asylum office.
What is the reason causing this delay?
I wrote them I got no response.Some people mentioned that asylum seekers from muslim countries are likely not to get a decision faster.Yet I am not from as kind of country. Although I am trying to stay strong and hopeful anxiety ,depression and insomnia became my health issue.Somehow I consider as psychological persecution this situation that many asylum seekers are going through.
Good luck to everyone,
God bless you all
Stay safe
You are not on your own brother. I have been waiting for the decision for about 4 years at the same office but it looks like asylum is also matter of like and dislike. If the interviewing officer and the supervisor like you, it is a grant but if they don’t either they send you to court or just just kill you steadily by placing your file in a limbo. I am just sick and tired of waiting. I have made several inquiries, used a congressman even Ombudsman office without luck. I have made a request for an expeditious review but they never answered . It is a pretty sore situation . Anyway, we may die of the coronavirus and forget all about this mess
Desperate,
It’s so painful when someone has been holding your life for so long. Sometimes I feel like giving up everything and go to Canada .Why why why are they doing that to us? Waiting for a decision is painful than waiting for an interview.Most of us applied for asylum to get protection from persecution, however what we are going through is another kind of persecution.This is wicked and cruel.If death was the solution just come and take me away.
I am depressing and slowly dying.By the end of this year if I don’t get a decision I am wondering if I will still a normal person.
To me, asylum is getting useless but I cannot go back to my home country. I lost life enjoyment and only one thing keeps holding my life back, asylum decision. I just asked them to send me to court instead of keeping my application in a limbo. I hate them ………………………………….
Don’t hate, dear. It’s not worth it.
Tina, would you like people who ruin your life?
I did a post on January 9, 2018. Maybe that would be of interest. Hang in there. Take care, Jason
I feel you.
You might consider a mandamus lawsuit – we wrote about that on October 2, 2018 (though after things reopen). Take care, Jason
Google “Wagafe v. USCIS”.
It is a lawsuit by ACLU for people in somewhat similar situation as you. I suggest you shoot them an email to see if they could also include you in their law suit. The good thing is that USCIS has been fast-tracking all the people on this case to make the case moot, so you might just get what you want.
I did a post on October 20, 2015 listing some possible reasons for a post-interview delay. Chicago is usually pretty good. Once things reopen, you can email them again (you can find their email address if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator). You might also try the USCIS Ombudsman (a link is also at right). They sometimes help with delayed cases. If all else fails, you can try a mandamus lawsuit. We wrote about that on October 2, 2018. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason, I hope you are safe as we fight to flatten the curve.
I have a 4 years pending affirmative asylum case. In my application I included my wife and my 2 daughters who are 9 & 7 yrs old, but they do live outside the US. Last week i received bad news my wife has passed away after being seek for a month. What can I do after this quarantine to get an interview and any sort of traveling document that can allow me to go see where my wife’s body was laid and at least see my kids in this hard time. Please, I need.
I am very sorry for your news. There are at least two things you can do – First, you can apply for Advance Parole, so you can travel. I wrote about that on September 11, 2017. You can ask USCIS to expedite the case. It would likely have a negative effect on your asylum case if you return to your home country, so be aware of that. You can try to mitigate that by having evidence about why you returned. Second, you can try to expedite the asylum case. If you have evidence of your wife’s death and your children’s situation, you should have a decent chance to expedite. I wrote about that on March 30, 2017. You can try both. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason.
I am so sorry to hear. Condolences to you and your kids.
Thank you Tina
So sorry to hear that. I know it is hard for you. Stay strong Man.
Expedite your case and get decision.
Keep contact with your kids.
Hopefully you win and bring them
Best Wishes
What is an asylum approval ? What is a green card ? What is a citizenship paper or what is a passport ? What is one million dollars ? When we will all die one day and turn to ashes , leaving all behind , papers and our refrigerators , our pile of paperwork , our laundry and our grocery list . Think hard before you stress about the illusion of “life on earth “ and think if it’s worthy of all the stress for
The things that will be gone before wind, today you are in this body but when you leave it , you cannot carry with you your sadness to the new life that awaits on the other side of what we thought we knew . Cheers
Sounds like you’ve been reading Ecclesiastes. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Do you do Lawsuits in federal court against USCIS? I have been waiting for about six years of my pending asylum and I got married to a USC in 2018 and applied for AOS. We had interview in early of 2019 and after 14 months after interview, we are still waiting for a decision. My wife and I are thinking about suing them in federal court so the judge will force them to make a decision. Any thoughts on that? Do you take cases for suing?
Thank you so much
look at the following link, you might be able to join their law suit and save a lot of money:
https://www.aclusocal.org/en/wagafe-v-trump-notice-potential-class-members
And why do you think you will win ? and aren’t you afraid of retaliation from USCIS ? just fair question … Because I feel that is suing works…then I’d assume everybody will do that, right ?
I am currently not doing such cases, but maybe in the future I will. A guest lawyer did a post here on October 2, 2018 (David Cleveland). You might try contacting him. Take care, Jason
Hi,
I applied for the LRIF Green card while decision on my asylum case is pending after interview and got a receipt for the I465.
Will it be ok to applied for applied for RTD in May or june to travel in December so they will have more time to decide on giving me the RTD or LRIF interview?
Do I need to do the LRIF interview before leaving?
Is it truth that I don’t need to pay RTD fees when my I465 is pending?
If I pay the fees to be sure they will give the RTD incase I needed to pay a fee, will they disqualified me for the RTD or any of my case in the future?
Or Do u think they will grant me RTD though I have pending asylum decision?
When granted RTD will they allow me to travel to another country and return to the US safely without been denied at the airport from entering?
Is it safe to travel before the LRIF green card interview with an RTD instead of AP?
Or safe to travel while my final decision for asylum is pending?
Will my travel before interview has anything to do with the decision from the asylum result or the LRIF green Card decision?
My entry passport is missing and I was able to get a new one. is it ok to show the new one mail to me when ask or show the police report or the missing old one? Or say I don’t have one but show the police report of the old one only to avoid been question about how I obtained the new one even though it’s unsafe to travel to my country of fear? I didn’t say my passport got missing in the LRIF application even though they say I should submit the copy which I have even if its missing or not, will this have any effect on me getting RTD or good result from the LRIF green Card or asylum interview final decision?
You can only apply for an RTD if asylum is granted. So if your asylum is still pending, you are not eligible for the RTD. If you applied for a GC based on the special rule for Liberians, I believe you can apply for an EAD/Advance Parole document, which would allow you to travel and re-enter the US (using your Liberian passport) while your GC application is pending. This is standard for most GC applications, and there is no extra cost once you pay for the I-485. That said, I have not done a LRIF case, and I have not double checked all this. You would need to check to make sure these same rules apply to your case as to most other GC cases. As for travel using your Liberian passport, that could be a factor they consider in your asylum case – though if you get the GC, you can close the asylum case. The main issue would be whether USCIS might think the asylum case was a fraud, based on the fact that you renewed your passport and used it to travel. While I think that is unlikely, you should be prepared to explain why Liberia was willing to issue you a passport and why you decided to get one, even though the Liberian government wants to persecute you. Take care, Jason
Hello Jason,
Does renewal of passport during a pending affirmative asylum case (based on persecution by government of country of citizenship) usually result in denial of asylum? I have filed an affirmative asylum two years ago, and now I need to change my status from F1 to H1b, but I will need to renew my expired passport first. I don’t know what to do.
We have had clients do that, and the asylum officers can (and often do) ask about it. However, I do not recall it ever blocking a client. It would depend on the facts of the case, of course, but if you have a good explanation for why you renewed (and it seems you have a good reason) and you can explain why the government agreed to issue a passport to a person it wants to persecute, you should be ok. There is no guarantee, and there is some risk in renewing, but you can minimize the risk if you have a good explanation. You will have to balance that risk with the benefit of getting the H1b. Maybe talking to a lawyer about the specifics of the situation would be beneficial, to help you think through the risks and benefits. Take care, Jason
Thank you Jason. Very well written.
Thank you, Jason
Jazon, is EXODUS 22:21. thanks for the message
I could have include that one as well – there are dozens of statements about treating the stranger properly, and so it seems strange when people are looking for scapegoats, the tend to choose “sins” such as homosexuality, which appear only a very few times in any Biblical test. It seems to me that they are cherry picking their Bible verses in order to justify their own prejudices. Take care, Jason
I should “preface” my succeeding paragraph with the fact that I am not generalizing, nor do I have anything against organized religions. The last time I checked, under the U.S. constitution (First Amendment), and many other countries’ constitutions, you have right to free exercise of religion. And, that is why the U.S. government grants asylum to people who are not able to exercise this right.
“Cherry picking” of “sins” is the very reason I can’t go to a traditional church or place of worship. A lot of people who practice organized religion, such as Christianity, tend to judge first and proselytize later. In fact, even the “proselytization process”- or the “recruitment process”, if you will- is sometimes ostensibly rife with bigotry and judgment. Take “evangelism” is the U.S., for example. You attend one of their meetings and you get the feeling like you are at a political rally or campaign. And, if you “sin” DIFFERENTLY, you can rest assured that you will be ostracized or treated like an outcast. You also get the impression that their main, or only, objectives are to stop the LGBTQ+’s “sinister agenda”, take away women’s reproductive rights, and stop immigration to the U.S. The very same people who are blaming LGBT people for the pandemic are the same people who have children before marriage, probably divorcees, lied, had sex before marriage, fornicate, anti-stranger (anti-immigrant), greedy and lover money, curse and swear, curse their parents, argue, gamble, lust, etc. Somehow, they manage to pin the pandemic, as usual, on LGBTQ people and women who want to have bodily autonomy. They also manage to convince themselves that they are the ones holding the moral high ground. And anyone who disagrees with them is Satan in the flesh. Who exactly are they fooling?
To co-opt something said of journalism, Religion should comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Otherwise, it ain’t worth much. At least that is what Jesus would say, methinks. Take care, Jason
I do think this is the divine punishment. In January I began to warn people around me about the coronavirus, but most people didn’t listen. They dismissed the disease as something would only happens to Asian people or people from the third world countries and didn’t prepare.
I burst into tear after reading your post. The idea of this post should be shared among all the nations around the world. We all need to repent and come back to God. As for the US, no wonder, the country has fully lost the sense of humanity and I strongly agree with you the US government attitude toward to weak would make the country to become subject to God’s wrath. I begin to wonder if asylum officers are human beings or if do they have hearts? When the US government can let our kids die and keep letting us be depressed at the point of committing suicide, I wonder whether that is not the reason for this curse. When the most powerful country becomes the weakest in the face of a pandemic , people should think. Jason, shall you blessed for bringing this up
Thank you – I hope the current crisis would cause us to become more unified, but I fear that is not the path we are on. We shall see. Take care, Jason
Thank you for the good biblical references article sir. We had interview on 10/2018 in Arlington, VA and the decision is still pending, is that normal? What could be the reason for long decision making? Do we need to wait 5 more years?
Sometimes we do see delays like this. Usually, it is for men from Muslim countries, but sometimes other people are effected as well. You can email them to ask about your case – you can find their email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator. But I think it unlikely you will get a response now, and you might do better to wait until things reopen. Also, you might think about a mandamus lawsuit to force them to make a decision in the case. We wrote about that on October 2, 2018. Take care, Jason
Such a nice piece thank you jason
But unfortunately the system here treat us like a machine!!
An average a men lives 70 -80 years but productive age are until 50 for someone like me came here in US when i was 27 now 32 IN FIVE years nothings has changed they just put our files in shelves and stamp and say that come after 10 years and after ten years they issues a decision in in another ten years so literally an individual is fucked up 20 years just for the sake of a decision-
Yes i came here and seek protection but that’s not a crime im engaged my fiance have been waiting since 2014 she cant wait for me more then this because i dont have an answer – because i did my interview and my file is fucken prioritized for supervisory review !!! For God sake just one decision and what kind of review i come from Afghanistan!!! Where US technically owned Afghanistan and US know the situation fully- but still this paperwork is soo tiresome-
I cry every night – if God exist he cant hear my voice and each drop of my tear will be accounted.
USA immigration system tortured me so badly and i have a depression due to just this system- i have sacrificed my energy and have worked like a machine just to survive here .. trust me if someone want to get a status there’s alot of way i wished i wasn’t engaged i could have married someone here chapter closed but trust me not everyone looks for status im begging for my status to bring my wife and im not even an economy immigrant to just here for work i used to make more money with a good white color jobs but now despite everything they just see us as machine – 😰
This is really the worst situation – when you are stuck waiting forever and you are separated from your family. Given how long you have waited, you might think about a mandamus lawsuit to force them to make a decision in the case. We wrote about that on October 2, 2018. Take care, Jason
I always have a question regarding decisions reached this way. Wouldn’t that be enrage USCIS and they retaliate with unfavorable decisions ?
I know of one case where the person filed a mandamus and the case was denied, for seemingly a bad reason. Whether that was related to the mandamus, I do not know. But my impression is that the mandamus would not affect the outcome, unless USCIS was unable to complete a security background check, in which case, they would be forced to deny. That said, I may be wrong, and given all of USCIS’s bad behavior of late, it is not so far fecthed to think that they might deny a case where the person filed a mandamus. In some cases, though, getting denied and going to court may be better than waiting forever in limbo. Take care, Jason
Look this up, it might help you:
https://www.aclusocal.org/en/wagafe-v-trump-notice-potential-class-members
Jason,
God bless you! Wonderful and heartfelt notes. May God forgive us all. God bless America!
We did our interview on 01/08/2020 in Arlington office, since that day waiting for the decision. Every day go online check case status, but it is same answer ” decision is pending” . Do you think they are working on already interviewed cases at home or no? when should I inquiry my decision is better? Thank you.
They are operating in some capacity, but things seem very slow there. I sent them a couple emails last week, but there was no response. You can try making an inquiry by email (you can find their email if you follow the link at right called Asylum Office Locator), but I think it unlikely you will get a response now, and you might do better to wait until things reopen. Take care, Jason
Thank you very much for your time and your advice. It was very helpful many people.
How about Los Angeles ? Are they hiring more people
They were going pretty quickly maybe a year ago, as I think they had increased their staff. I think they will move fast once things reopen, but I am not sure. Take care, Jason
Hi Jason,
Any news from the asylum office staffing situation at the Arlington office? Will they be able to process all the cases after the shutdown?
Thanks
P.S. I left a comment before this one, but it did not show up here. Sorry for the duplicate comment, if it should appear later.
They have hired many new officers, and so once things open up, I expect they will be moving fairly quickly. We shall see. Take care, Jason
Is it a good thing? I will guess new officers seem to tend to be young and harsh with quick decisions. I am waiting since 2017 but, this scares me, to be interviewed by a young new officer.
Many of the new officers are good, though not all. As I see it, things are as they have always been with the officers – most are good, some are not so good. Take care, Jason
Do you know how many new officers they have hired? will they be able to process the back-log as well or are they going to have a hard time keeping up with the new filings?
I don’t remember, but my sense is that they have hired a large number of people and that they will be able to work on backlog cases at most offices. Take care, Jason
Agreed and Amen! May God bless and heal the land and people – He is our merciful father who promised that He will answer when His people call upon His name, He will be with them in trouble and bless them with long life; we surrender everything to HIM. Any law, any govt or any pandemic – our God is greater than all of these! He is the same god yesterday, today and forever – If He could part the Red see for His people then; He can do it even today…all we need to do is to repent, surrender ourselves and keep the faith!
Amen, Jason
Thank you Jason! This is so timely and an apt exposition! We will continue to pray that God will forgive us and heal the land. We shall continue to pray and seek God’s mercy as people, not as citizens or non-citizens…because that’s how God, our creator, sees us all. Thank you…this article should be shared among the nations. And may He continue to bless you as you speak on the behalf of PEOPLE.
Thank you for the kind words. Take care, Jason
Amen
Amen 🙏