ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Members of central Florida‘s congressional delegation want to know why scores of people, including small children, are having to wait outside for days in order to get appointments with federal immigration officials due to delays at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Orlando.
During the past week, as many as 250 people have been waiting each day outside the ICE facility for an appointment with immigration officials, sometimes sleeping in cars and tents while they bide their time, according to a letter from U.S. Reps. Darren Soto and Stephanie Murphy to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
“Addressing the current backlog at the Orlando ICE facility is vital to ensuring the safety of immigrants seeking refuge,” the Democratic lawmakers said in their letter last Friday. “We ask that you work swiftly and diligently to investigate and address these delays.”
Those waiting for appointments over the past several days have brought umbrellas and tents for protection against the Florida sun and heat. Those waiting included people who had recently been apprehended along the southwest border and had to check in with ICE after arriving at their destinations, according to the agency.
In an emailed statement, ICE said it was working to address the delays at the Orlando office and was encouraging people to make appointments online to avoid having to wait in person at the ICE office or on the phone. The agency blamed the processing delays on the pandemic.
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“ICE continues to make processing, staffing, and resource allocation improvements to increase processing and limit adjudication delays,” the statement said.
In a tweet, U.S. Rep. Val Demings said the delays were representative of a broken immigration system that Congress has failed to fix for decades.
“We are a nation of laws, and immigrants in Orlando who are acting in good faith to fulfill their legal obligations have met with unacceptable delays due to staffing shortages,” said Demings, a Democratic congresswoman who is running for U.S. Senate.
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