PEARSALL, Texas — Maria Gonzalez has been a legal U.S. resident since she was around 16 years old. She received her official green card, or "Permanent Resident Card", all the way back in 1987.
Unfortunately, she lost that green card and drivers license, when someone stole her wallet, and now she can't get a job. Despite being completely legal for more than three decades, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could end up making her wait up to 18 months for a replacement green card.
"All I want to do is work and support myself and to not be a burden to my friend or anybody else," Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez submitted her application for a replacement card back in July of 2023. She then had to wait for approval of the application, schedule a biometrics appointment more than a month out, and complete the appointment.
Gonzalez said the government hasn't needed a single document from her since last September. Still, she has now waited 10 months since she started the process, and the government portal for her case estimates Gonzalez must wait another 8 months for USCIS to just make a decision about the card. The agency can expedite a case in some situations but Gonzalez said she didn't qualify for those either.
Finally, she called KENS 5.
"There's nothing I can do. I just have to wait until these people decide," Gonzalez said.
KENS 5 contacted USCIS but the agency refused to provide any information about the case and instead sent the following response:
USCIS adjudicates each request for immigration benefits fairly, humanely, and efficiently on a case-by-case basis to determine if they meet all standards and eligibility criteria required under applicable laws, regulations, and policies, and the agency remains committed to promoting policies and procedures that break down barriers in the immigration system, increase access to eligible immigration benefits, reduce processing times, and uphold America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.
The agency said a permanent resident can apply for " temporary evidence of Lawful Permanent Resident status" but Gonzalez has already made an appointment to do so and is still waiting for that appointment.
Immigration Attorney Gerardo Menchaca told KENS 5 USCIS processes did get delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said it currently takes around 9 months for USCIS to process a green card though he didn't believe that should be the case.
"Times are getting faster but they are still slower that they used to be," Menchaca said. "It doesn't seem like it should take that long. These processes, in my opinion, should be done in less than three months."
Before COVID-19, Manchaca said, the processes had been completed in three months. Menchaca said a legal U.S. resident can normally still get a job if they have both an expired green card and paperwork that shows they have filed to replace the card. If the old card is missing entirely, however, the immigrant is in a tough situation.
"You are in trouble if you lose that card. It will interrupt your travel, your employment, your ability to renew a driver's license, and other governmental processes that you need to go to," Menchaca said.
Menchaca said it can also be difficult, and time consuming, to navigate all the options USCIS has available without an attorney.
KENS 5 is now reaching out to multiple local congressmen to see if they can help expedite the case. Gonzalez said she currently has no way to support herself and is relying on friends. She said she feels the government is failing migrants who try to act according to the law.
"For me to have to wait this long... it's hard. Especially with the economy and everything. It's just making it harder for me and harder for my friend. It shouldn't have to be like that," Gonzalez said.
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