A US federal judge ordered the government to expedite the delivery of green cards or other documents to thousands of immigrants who have been granted legal residency in the US.
The order came in a lawsuit representing at least 12,500 immigrants nationwide who have been declared US residents by federal immigration judges but have been waiting, sometimes years, for legal documents proving they are in the country legally.
US District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel ordered immigration officials on Thursday to come up with a plan within 60 days for expediting the documents, even temporary ones.
Sharon Rummery, a spokeswoman with the US Citizen and Immigration Services in San Francisco, said on Friday the agency was reviewing the decision and was not prepared to comment.
"The ruling recognizes that thousands of lawful permanent residents nationwide have been wrongfully denied their proof of status," said Javier Maldonado, executive director of the Texas Lawyers' Committee.
"The Department of Homeland Security can no longer deprive thousands of lawful permanent residents of the essential documentation that enables them to work legally, obtain identification documents, and visit their families abroad," he said.
The government argued that the delay in issuing at least temporary documents, which would allow the immigrants to obtain Social Security cards, driver's licenses and jobs, was in part due to a backlog of security background checks following the 2001 terror attacks.
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