Chapter 3 - Operational Responses

A. General

When an emergency or unforeseen circumstance arises that may disrupt operations at a USCIS facility or facilities that are open to the public, both local USCIS leadership and USCIS Headquarters assess the situation and determine the appropriate response. USCIS tailors its response based on numerous factors and measures, which in general include filing a report, informing the public, and activating local emergency response procedures, as appropriate.

B. Informing the Public

When an emergency or unforeseen circumstance disrupts operations at a public-facing USCIS facility, USCIS uses a variety of tools to communicate with the public.^[1]

1. Facility Closures or USCIS System Outages or Impairments

If the emergency or unforeseen circumstance results in the closure of a public-facing facility such as a field office, asylum office, or application support center, or in the impairment or unavailability of USCIS information technology systems, the responsible official ensures the closure is announced on the USCIS website.^[2] USCIS also uses USCIS social media channels to inform the public, as appropriate.

Additionally, when feasible, USCIS attempts to directly contact individuals with appointments scheduled at the closed facility, as well as their attorneys or representatives of record, to inform them of the closure and to reschedule their appointments. Local USCIS staff also contact the public affairs specialist with responsibility for the impacted facility to notify their media contacts of the closure.

When the field office is accessible and an employee is able to go the field office safely, USCIS places signage informing the public of the closure at all entrances to the impacted facility and adds outgoing messages regarding the closure to any public telephone numbers or email addresses utilized by the facility.

In the event a closure occurs during business hours, USCIS notifies staff and visitors of the impacted facility verbally or via a public address system and gives instructions to facilitate their safe and orderly departure.

2. Facility Remains Open

In the event an emergency or unforeseen circumstance arises within the jurisdiction of a public-facing USCIS facility, but the facility remains open, USCIS may reschedule missed appointments for individuals in the impacted area. USCIS may also attempt to directly contact individuals with appointments scheduled at the facility, as well as their attorneys or representatives of record, to provide them the option to reschedule their appointments, especially in situations where benefit requestors may have difficulty receiving USCIS notices due to disruptions to the postal service, displacement or loss of housing, or other factors.

C. Local Emergency Response

Depending on the nature of the emergency or unforeseen circumstance, USCIS staff at an impacted facility may need to activate local emergency responses procedures. In the event of a facility closure occurring when staff or visitors are present, USCIS evacuates the facility according to the facility’s Occupant Emergency Plan. As appropriate, facility leadership and the field security manager with responsibility for the facility also coordinate with local first responders, as well as relevant federal, state, and municipal entities.

As part of the USCIS response, the local USCIS field office may be activated to a local emergency response center to assist the affected population with immigration matters. USCIS personnel may be able to assist with immigration questions, provide Alien Documentation, Identification, and Telecommunication (ADIT) stamps for temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status, provide Arrival/Departure Records (Form I-94) for proof of status, process biometrics through mobile biometrics machines, and provide verification of U.S. citizenship through a verification letter. Local USCIS field offices coordinate closely with their headquarters and other USCIS directorates to ensure USCIS provides consistent information and services to the affected population.^[3]

Footnotes 

[^ 1] Depending on the nature and extent of the emergency or unforeseen circumstance, USCIS may issue a web alert on USCIS’ Alerts webpage or similar public communications.

[^ 2] See the USCIS Office Closings webpage.

[^ 3] See Part C, Biometrics Collection and Security Checks, Chapter 2, Biometrics Collection, Section B, Mobile Biometrics Collection [1 USCIS-PM C.2(B)].