Ur M. Jaddou, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a new mission statement for based upon feedback from agency employees: ”USCIS upholds America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.”

The new mission statement certainly strikes a positive and welcome tone, though one still not quite evocative of the attitudes which the agency sometimes projects on a daily basis in its case-specific communications and adjudications.  Though we have always seen flashes of wisdom, mercy and compassion in agency adjudications, it hasn’t been something we can count on consistently – especially over the last five years or so.

In fairness, many large organizations often have difficulty living up to the lofty ideals of their mission statements.  We certainly wish USCIS well in its efforts to implement the laudable ideals conveyed here across the agency.