u/CertifiedOniiChan — reddlx

As of today, April 30, 2026, the government shutdown is over. The summaries from the Senate and House are high-level, but a document called the Joint Explanatory Statement details the plan for how United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) must spend its portion of the money.

Specifically, the agreement provides $123 million for Operations and Support, which includes about $10.3 million specifically dedicated to backlog reduction and $112 million for E-Verify.

Plan for the $10 Million

Backlog Reduction and Reporting: USCIS must report on the status of the affirmative asylum backlog and provide data on the number and deployment of asylum officers. It is also directed to maintain a dashboard on its website showing monthly data for all form types, including processing times and pending cases. This funding allocation may represent more of a return to normalcy: this data is historically available on their website though data from 2026 is sparse.
Transparency and Accountability: The agency must publicly report every 30 days if any collected fees have been used for immigration enforcement purposes. It must also brief congressional committees before implementing significant policy changes.
Specific Program Oversight:
- Programs:
  - USCIS is required to report monthly figures regarding the EAD backlog publicly on their website and to congress.
  - Directives are included for reporting on the impacts of H-2A and H-2B visa programs and recommending ways to safeguard their integrity.
- Refugee Admissions: USCIS must provide quarterly reports on the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), including processing durations and pipeline data.
- Central American Minors (CAM): The agency must publish public data on CAM applications, arrivals, and processing times.
Operational Improvements: USCIS is tasked with exploring efficiencies in visa application processing and reporting on the feasibility of collecting biometrics at CBP locations where no USCIS office exists, and reporting on the efficacy of remote interviews.

What About the Rest of the Money?

The bill provides $112 million to keep E-Verify running.

This ensures that as people receive their work permits, the system that employers use to verify them stays online and accurate, reducing delays when you actually start a new job.