Green Card Backlog Alert: Democrats Pressure USCIS Over 2026 Processing Crisis

A group of Democratic members of Congress has sent a formal letter to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services demanding accountability over what they describe as an 'operational decline' at the agency. The letter was addressed to USCIS leadership and calls on the agency to provide answers regarding mounting backlogs and deteriorating processing performance across multiple visa categories, including employment-based green cards. The congressional letter was submitted prior to a recent USCIS internal memo that has since drawn widespread attention. Since the memo's release, reports have emerged indicating that USCIS has materially slowed the processing of consular processing cases — a pathway that is critical for applicants outside the United States seeking immigrant visas at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad. For EB-3 applicants, this development carries direct implications. Those pursuing consular processing rather than adjustment of status may face extended wait times beyond current estimates, as the agency's capacity to adjudicate and forward cases to the National Visa Center and consular posts appears constrained. Applicants should monitor their case status closely and consult with immigration counsel regarding any unexpected delays. The congressional pressure signals growing legislative concern about USCIS's operational capacity in 2026. Whether the letter and associated scrutiny will prompt changes in agency staffing, prioritization, or processing procedures remains to be seen, but it reflects a broader pattern of oversight attention on immigration agency performance during a period of significant policy flux.