Stop Commercializing USCIS Asylum Jobs

Dear Honorable Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez and U. S. Representatives from Florida,

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and USCIS are moving to privatize certain support positions within the USCIS Asylum Offices located in Miami, Newark, New York City and Los Angeles, and we, respectfully, ask for your immediate review and intervention.

The handling and processing of asylum claims by these federal employees requires a high degree of sensitivity and confidentiality.  Asylum applicants' applications and supporting documentation getting into the wrong hands could literally be a life-and-death matter for those applicants and their families.

In addition, these federal Asylum support staff positions perform a myriad of duties relating to the proper administration of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act and also help insure our security by performing federal national security and criminal database checks.

All duties relating to the processing of asylum claims and related research of federal national databases rightfully belong in the hands of the federal government and federal employees, not private companies!  We respectfully implore you to take action to help ensure this.

Thank you!