After mass layoff gutted federal agency in Kansas City, push to restore jobs pays off
The U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service, a federal agency that had a large presence in the Kansas City area until a mass layoff last year, is poised to restore 500 jobs in the region.
USCIS announced that it would restore many of the jobs cut last year due to financial constraints arising from the coronavirus pandemic. USCIS has a National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit and Overland Park where it processes immigration-related paperwork, including for international adoptions.
The agency, which does not receive direct funding from Congress but sustains itself on fees it charges on immigration applications, blamed the sharp downturn in immigration activity during the pandemic for its financial woes when it cut 800 jobs last year. It was one of the largest single mass layoffs in the Kansas City region. Some jobs were restored in December.
A bipartisan group of the Kansas City region’s congressional delegation cheered the USCIS announcement.
“When we cross party lines and work together to get things done for our constituents, it’s remarkable what we’re able to accomplish,” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Missouri Democrat, said in a statement. “After a year-long effort to support the workforce of USCIS and prevent catastrophic layoffs because of the coronavirus, I’m thrilled to see the agency will bring back hundreds of federal contractors, returning closer to pre-pandemic levels of employment. This will not only be a boon to workers in Kansas City, but will also help to address the agency’s backlog in immigration applications. That’s what I like to call a ‘win-win.’”
Congressional leaders were concerned when they learned of the layoffs last year.
“Restoring these critical jobs at the National Benefits Center in the Kansas City region will help support the local economy and the nation, as these employees work to process immigration applications,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with my colleagues representing the Kansas City area to help bring jobs back to the region.”
