The government shutdown was a shocking event of 2013, and at the time many research companies projected how the days of inactivity would affect immigrants who were applying for green cards and visas. However, not many agencies followed up on the aftermath of the incident and determined how much damage, if any, was actually done. According to Yahoo News, the shutdown did have a widespread effect on immigration cases and one that shouldn't be taken for granted. The federal government shutdown last year delayed more than 37,000 immigration hearings by months. Some were delayed for years for immigrants already waiting in lines to plead asylum or request a green card.

The country's immigration courts are back up and running as usual, and are processing as many cases as possible in a short amount of time. However, many of those immigrants who were expected to appear before the courts during the government shutdown are still stuck in the country, awaiting a deportation hearing or hoping to receive permission to travel abroad and see family. Some hearings have been rescheduled to late this year, but thousands have been shelved until 2015 or later years. The Associated Press was able to uncover these details by reading through e-mails from government authorities to immigrants awaiting a hearing.

A Chief Immigration Judge says that at present there is a staffing shortage in the immigration department, and that many of the individuals who were set to attend court hearings in 2013 during the shutdown will not be rescheduled until 2015 or later. E-mails show that about 70% of all immigrant cases were put on hold during the government shutdown, and most of these involved immigrants now held in detention centers at the time.

Many immigrants are frustrated by the delays that were caused by the government shutdown. One woman tells Yahoo News that she has been waiting for a green card for over ten years, The woman says that she once travelled to Guatemala to see family, and on the way back she was denied access into the country because she did not have a green card. She re-entered the U.S. illegally, and has been trying to secure a green card ever since. She was scheduled to attend a court hearing in October, but due to the shutdown she now has to wait until August.

The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse says that there are more than 360,000 immigration court cases which have been pending for an average of 573 days. Other immigrants are waiting for asylum hearings, and are terrified that they will be sent back to dangerous countries because of a lack o attention from the American government.

If you want more information about immigration proceedings, or if you have been waiting for an immigration court hearing that was rescheduled due to the government shutdown, then don't hesitate to contact a skilled attorney at the firm today to learn more. With the right lawyer on your side, you may be able to aggressively prove why you need attention and a satisfactory ruling in your case. Locate a local immigration attorney to learn more!