KANSAS CITY, Mo. — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to restore 500 jobs that were cut last year in the Kansas City region.

The agency, which processes immigration-related paperwork, including international adoptions, laid off 800 workers last year because of a sharp drop in immigration activity caused by the coronavirus pandemic, The Kansas City Star reported.

USCIS has a National Benefits Center in Lee’s Summit, Mo., and Overland Park, Kan. It is funded by fees on immigration applications and does not receive direct funding from Congress.

U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Democrat from Missouri, and U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas, both applauded the agency’s decision to restore the jobs.

“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,” Cleaver said in a statement.

“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,” Moran said.