Will my immigration case be delayed by a government shutdown?

Answer: It depends upon your type of case. If you applied for any immigration benefit with US Citizenship and Immigration Services, your case will not likely be affected by any government shutdown. That is because USCIS accepts fees for their applications, therefore, they are not affected by a lapse in funding due to a shutdown. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations also proceed as normal during a shutdown. While affirmative asylum cases also continue being processed during the shutdown, the defensive asylum cases in immigration courts get delayed. In fact, all non-detained cases in Immigration Courts are suspended during the government shutdown. The majority of Immigration Courts hearings during government shutdowns, with the exception of detained removal proceedings.