An (absurd) immigration checklist
"McCarthyism returns to immigration law,"
"McCarthyism returns to immigration law,"
Opinion
Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Wed, August 20, 2025
The Trump administration has directed government officials to probe any "anti-American" views and activities of immigrants applying for immigration benefits like green cards and work permits, further expanding the grounds that can be cited to deny those applications.
The policy unveiled on Tuesday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the latest front in a broader Trump administration effort to restrict access to legal immigration benefits, including by broadening the levels of scrutiny and vetting to which applicants are subjected.
The guidance issued this week directs officials at USCIS to determine whether applicants for certain immigration benefits have "endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused anti-American views or the views of a terrorist organization or group," including on social media. USCIS said those groups could include organizations that espouse or promote antisemitic views and terrorism.
If officials find applicants have any ties to these groups or share their views, the directive instructs the officials to consider that an "overwhelmingly negative factor" justifying the denial of an application.
The policy will affect requests for immigration benefits that are discretionary, meaning that USCIS can deny them even if applicants meet the qualifications outlined in U.S. law. Those cases include many applications for permanent U.S. residency (also known as a green card), work permits and status changes for foreign students.
While it wasn't immediately clear how expansively USCIS will define "anti-American" views and activities, the agency said it would make the determination based on a provision of U.S. immigration law that bans immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens if it is found that they advocate for world communism, totalitarianism, violence against officials or the overthrow of the U.S. government.
The guidance issued Tuesday also orders USCIS officials to probe whether applicants improperly used an immigration policy known as parole to enter the U.S. In the immigration context, parole allows for the arrival of immigrants who are otherwise ineligible to enter the U.S. It was used by the Biden administration on an unprecedented scale, mainly to ease pressure at the U.S.-Mexico border by offering migrants a legal way to enter the country.
USCIS said it would look into whether applicants' parole applications contained "false or fraudulent" information.
Matthew Tragesser, USCIS' top spokesperson, said Tuesday's memo underscored that U.S. immigration benefits should not be granted to people who "despise the country."
"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is committed to implementing policies and procedures that root out anti-Americanism and supporting the enforcement of rigorous screening and vetting measures to the fullest extent possible," Tragesser added.
Stephen Yale-Loehr, an expert in U.S. immigration law, expressed concerns about how USCIS would implement its latest guidance, calling the language in it "very subjective."
"This memo gives USCIS adjudicators even more reasons than before to deny a petition on discretionary grounds," Yale-Loehr said.
While President Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration central to his second-term agenda, his administration has also tightened access to the legal immigration system.
Last week, USCIS said it would expand a "good moral character" assessment in the U.S. citizenship process. That requirement was historically satisfied when applicants lacked serious criminal histories or disqualifying conduct on their record. But now, officials have been instructed to weigh different positive factors, like applicants' involvement in the community, and negative factors, like repeat traffic infractions, to determine whether someone has good moral character.
The Trump administration also previously announced measures to more aggressively screen those applying for a U.S. immigration status, including by placing a greater emphasis on the social media activity of applicants.
Trump administration to vet legal immigrant applicants for 'anti-Americanism' and antisemitism
Michael Dorgan
Wed, August 20, 2025
New U.S. citizens listen as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony inside the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Courthouse on Oct. 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Federal officials are now being instructed to vet immigrants looking to legally live and work in the U.S. for "anti-American," terrorist, or antisemitic views under new guidance.
Trump Is Targeting Nonviolent And Legal Immigrants. americans Are Starting To Notice
"The message is that the U.S. and immigration agencies are going to be less tolerant of anti-Americanism or antisemitism when making immigration decisions," Elizabeth Jacobs, director of regulatory affairs and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for immigration restrictions, said on Tuesday.
Jacobs said the government is being more explicit in the kind of behaviors and practices officers should consider, but emphasized that discretion is still in place. "The agency cannot tell officers that they have to deny — just to consider it as a negative discretion," she said.
But Ruby Robinson of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center argued constitutional rights apply to all people in the U.S. regardless of status — and predicted legal challenges.
"A lot of this administration’s activities infringe on constitutional rights and do need to be resolved, ultimately, in courts," Robinson added.
Critics like David J. Bier, the director of immigration policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, warned the policy could be wielded to silence dissent and punish political opponents.
"This is a new powerful weapon in President Trump’s arsenal against politically disfavored groups," Bier told the Washington Post.
Jonathan Grode, managing partner of Green and Spiegel immigration law firm, said the policy fits Trump’s longstanding approach and that the administration is within its authority.
"This is what was elected. They’re allowed to interpret the rules the way they want," Grode told the Washington Post. "The policy always to them is to shrink the strike zone. The law is still the same."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ja'han Jones
Wed, August 20, 2025
Kanishka Singh
Wed, August 20, 2025
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony in New York City
By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's administration has said it will assess applicants for U.S. work, study and immigration visas for "anti-Americanism" and count any such finding against them, sparking concern about implications for free speech.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a "policy alert" dated Tuesday that it gave immigration officers new guidance on how to exercise discretion in cases where foreign applicants "support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities" as well as "antisemitic terrorism."
Trump has labeled a range of voices as anti-American, including historians and museums documenting U.S. slavery and pro-Palestinian protesters opposing U.S. ally Israel's military assault on Gaza.
"Anti-American activity will be an overwhelmingly negative factor in any discretionary analysis," USCIS said.
"America's benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies."
The announcement did not define anti-Americanism. But the policy manual refers to a section of federal law about prohibiting naturalization of people "opposed to government or law, or who favor totalitarian forms of government."
The full text mentions supporters of communism or totalitarian regimes and people who advocate overthrow of the U.S. government and violence against government officers, among other factors.
USCIS said it expanded the types of applications that have social media vetting, and reviews for "anti-American activity" will be added to that vetting.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said the step hearkened to the 1950s when Senator Joseph McCarthy hunted alleged communists in a campaign that became synonymous with political persecution.
"McCarthyism returns to immigration law," he said. Anti-Americanism "has no prior precedent in immigration law and its definition is entirely up to the Trump admin."
In April, the U.S. government said it would begin screening the social media of immigrants and visa applicants for what it called antisemitic activity. Rights advocates raised free speech and surveillance concerns.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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the Miami Herald Editorial Board
Wed, August 20, 2025
New guidelines by the Trump administration will require applicants for immigration benefits to be screened for anti-American ideologies.
The Trump administration’s announcement Wednesday that immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship and other benefits will be screened to determine whether they have displayed anti-American ideas or behavior is problematic to say the least. Who gets to decide what exactly is anti-American?
And that got us thinking. If U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents are the ones deciding whether you stay or go, what will they be considering?
Is the applicant’s social media free of rainbows? Come on in. Do they have preferred pronouns? The exit is that way. What about the person’s car — is it (more or less) American made? A positive sign.
Yes, this is a serious matter. But measuring anti-American-ness? That’s a joke. U.S. immigration officers have always used their discretion to award citizenship and other benefits to people born outside the country. It’s unclear what will actually change under the updated immigration policy manual, though “Anti-American activity will be an overwhelmingly negative factor in any discretionary analysis,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services wrote in a Tuesday news release.
The guidelines target “anti-American ideologies” but don’t describe what they are, which is the problem. That will be in the eyes of the beholder — and the beholder being the Trump administration, we can imagine how that might turn out.
Given that the new guidance also includes “social media vetting,” we encourage officers to print out the following checklist, which we’re sure will please the president and his top aide/anti-immigration zealot Stephen Miller:
Does this future patriot drive a truck that does no more than 5 mpg of beautiful fossil fuel? Approve.
Did the wannabe American show up to the immigration interview in a Prius or electrical vehicle? (Please consult your supervisor regarding the status of Tesla, as the president and Elon Musk may still patch things up.) Deny. Send applicants straight to Alligator Alcatraz if they rode a bike, because this is America, not Europe.
Was the future model citizen spotted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021? Approve.
Has this ungrateful person posted anything complaining about the cost of groceries since Jan. 20, 2025 — because “inflation is down to a perfect, beautiful number,” the president has to constantly remind us? Deny.
Does this soon-to-be great American thank the president every day for protecting us from mail ballots, windmills, foreign invaders and paper straws? Approve — immediately.
With this list, USCIS officers will be sure to ensure that whoever is allowed in the country has pledged their allegiance not only to America but to a particular ideology that the president has decided is the only one acceptable. Whoever disagrees should not be granted the privilege of American citizenship, does not belong in the Smithsonian museums or in the federal government, especially if they will produce any jobs reports that make Trump’s economy look bad.
And if you find the above list absurd, it’s because it is meant to be. These are, in fact, absurd times.
U.S. to probe "anti-American" views of those applying for immigration benefits
Wed, August 20, 2025
New guidelines by the Trump administration will require applicants for immigration benefits to be screened for anti-American ideologies.
The Trump administration’s announcement Wednesday that immigrants applying for U.S. citizenship and other benefits will be screened to determine whether they have displayed anti-American ideas or behavior is problematic to say the least. Who gets to decide what exactly is anti-American?
And that got us thinking. If U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents are the ones deciding whether you stay or go, what will they be considering?
Is the applicant’s social media free of rainbows? Come on in. Do they have preferred pronouns? The exit is that way. What about the person’s car — is it (more or less) American made? A positive sign.
Yes, this is a serious matter. But measuring anti-American-ness? That’s a joke. U.S. immigration officers have always used their discretion to award citizenship and other benefits to people born outside the country. It’s unclear what will actually change under the updated immigration policy manual, though “Anti-American activity will be an overwhelmingly negative factor in any discretionary analysis,” U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services wrote in a Tuesday news release.
The guidelines target “anti-American ideologies” but don’t describe what they are, which is the problem. That will be in the eyes of the beholder — and the beholder being the Trump administration, we can imagine how that might turn out.
Given that the new guidance also includes “social media vetting,” we encourage officers to print out the following checklist, which we’re sure will please the president and his top aide/anti-immigration zealot Stephen Miller:
Does this future patriot drive a truck that does no more than 5 mpg of beautiful fossil fuel? Approve.
Did the wannabe American show up to the immigration interview in a Prius or electrical vehicle? (Please consult your supervisor regarding the status of Tesla, as the president and Elon Musk may still patch things up.) Deny. Send applicants straight to Alligator Alcatraz if they rode a bike, because this is America, not Europe.
Was the future model citizen spotted at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021? Approve.
Has this ungrateful person posted anything complaining about the cost of groceries since Jan. 20, 2025 — because “inflation is down to a perfect, beautiful number,” the president has to constantly remind us? Deny.
Does this soon-to-be great American thank the president every day for protecting us from mail ballots, windmills, foreign invaders and paper straws? Approve — immediately.
With this list, USCIS officers will be sure to ensure that whoever is allowed in the country has pledged their allegiance not only to America but to a particular ideology that the president has decided is the only one acceptable. Whoever disagrees should not be granted the privilege of American citizenship, does not belong in the Smithsonian museums or in the federal government, especially if they will produce any jobs reports that make Trump’s economy look bad.
And if you find the above list absurd, it’s because it is meant to be. These are, in fact, absurd times.
U.S. to probe "anti-American" views of those applying for immigration benefits
Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Wed, August 20, 2025
CBS
The Trump administration has directed government officials to probe any "anti-American" views and activities of immigrants applying for immigration benefits like green cards and work permits, further expanding the grounds that can be cited to deny those applications.
The policy unveiled on Tuesday by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is the latest front in a broader Trump administration effort to restrict access to legal immigration benefits, including by broadening the levels of scrutiny and vetting to which applicants are subjected.
The guidance issued this week directs officials at USCIS to determine whether applicants for certain immigration benefits have "endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused anti-American views or the views of a terrorist organization or group," including on social media. USCIS said those groups could include organizations that espouse or promote antisemitic views and terrorism.
If officials find applicants have any ties to these groups or share their views, the directive instructs the officials to consider that an "overwhelmingly negative factor" justifying the denial of an application.
The policy will affect requests for immigration benefits that are discretionary, meaning that USCIS can deny them even if applicants meet the qualifications outlined in U.S. law. Those cases include many applications for permanent U.S. residency (also known as a green card), work permits and status changes for foreign students.
While it wasn't immediately clear how expansively USCIS will define "anti-American" views and activities, the agency said it would make the determination based on a provision of U.S. immigration law that bans immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens if it is found that they advocate for world communism, totalitarianism, violence against officials or the overthrow of the U.S. government.
The guidance issued Tuesday also orders USCIS officials to probe whether applicants improperly used an immigration policy known as parole to enter the U.S. In the immigration context, parole allows for the arrival of immigrants who are otherwise ineligible to enter the U.S. It was used by the Biden administration on an unprecedented scale, mainly to ease pressure at the U.S.-Mexico border by offering migrants a legal way to enter the country.
USCIS said it would look into whether applicants' parole applications contained "false or fraudulent" information.
Matthew Tragesser, USCIS' top spokesperson, said Tuesday's memo underscored that U.S. immigration benefits should not be granted to people who "despise the country."
"U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is committed to implementing policies and procedures that root out anti-Americanism and supporting the enforcement of rigorous screening and vetting measures to the fullest extent possible," Tragesser added.
Stephen Yale-Loehr, an expert in U.S. immigration law, expressed concerns about how USCIS would implement its latest guidance, calling the language in it "very subjective."
"This memo gives USCIS adjudicators even more reasons than before to deny a petition on discretionary grounds," Yale-Loehr said.
While President Trump has made cracking down on illegal immigration central to his second-term agenda, his administration has also tightened access to the legal immigration system.
Last week, USCIS said it would expand a "good moral character" assessment in the U.S. citizenship process. That requirement was historically satisfied when applicants lacked serious criminal histories or disqualifying conduct on their record. But now, officials have been instructed to weigh different positive factors, like applicants' involvement in the community, and negative factors, like repeat traffic infractions, to determine whether someone has good moral character.
The Trump administration also previously announced measures to more aggressively screen those applying for a U.S. immigration status, including by placing a greater emphasis on the social media activity of applicants.
Trump administration to vet legal immigrant applicants for 'anti-Americanism' and antisemitism
Michael Dorgan
Wed, August 20, 2025
FOX NEWS
Trump administration to vet legal immigrant applicants for 'anti-Americanism' and antisemitism
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
Federal officials are now being instructed to vet immigrants looking to legally live and work in the U.S. for "anti-American," terrorist, or antisemitic views under new guidance.
The updated policy, part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration clampdown, gives U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers broad discretion to treat such views as "overwhelmingly negative factors" when deciding whether to approve green cards, visas or citizenship. The guidance took effect immediately and applies to both new and pending applications.
"America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies," USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said.
Federal officials are now being instructed to vet immigrants looking to legally live and work in the U.S. for "anti-American," terrorist, or antisemitic views under new guidance.
He added that USCIS is committed to implementing policies that root out anti-Americanism and strengthen vetting.
"Immigration benefits — including to live and work in the United States — remain a privilege, not a right."
While the release offered no clear definition of "anti-Americanism," USCIS referenced the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits people linked to terrorism, antisemitism or "world communism" from gaining citizenship.
It noted that officers, when conducting a discretionary analysis, will weigh whether an applicant’s requests were made in line with existing laws and policies.
The change comes alongside a wave of new immigration measures in Trump’s second term, including expanded social media vetting and a tougher "good moral character" standard for naturalization.
USCIS said reviews of anti-American activity will now be folded into social media screenings.
Trump administration to vet legal immigrant applicants for 'anti-Americanism' and antisemitism
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways
Federal officials are now being instructed to vet immigrants looking to legally live and work in the U.S. for "anti-American," terrorist, or antisemitic views under new guidance.
The updated policy, part of President Donald Trump’s broader immigration clampdown, gives U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers broad discretion to treat such views as "overwhelmingly negative factors" when deciding whether to approve green cards, visas or citizenship. The guidance took effect immediately and applies to both new and pending applications.
"America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies," USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser said.
Federal officials are now being instructed to vet immigrants looking to legally live and work in the U.S. for "anti-American," terrorist, or antisemitic views under new guidance.
He added that USCIS is committed to implementing policies that root out anti-Americanism and strengthen vetting.
"Immigration benefits — including to live and work in the United States — remain a privilege, not a right."
While the release offered no clear definition of "anti-Americanism," USCIS referenced the Immigration and Nationality Act, which prohibits people linked to terrorism, antisemitism or "world communism" from gaining citizenship.
It noted that officers, when conducting a discretionary analysis, will weigh whether an applicant’s requests were made in line with existing laws and policies.
The change comes alongside a wave of new immigration measures in Trump’s second term, including expanded social media vetting and a tougher "good moral character" standard for naturalization.
USCIS said reviews of anti-American activity will now be folded into social media screenings.
New U.S. citizens listen as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks during a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization ceremony inside the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Courthouse on Oct. 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Federal officials are now being instructed to vet immigrants looking to legally live and work in the U.S. for "anti-American," terrorist, or antisemitic views under new guidance.
Trump Is Targeting Nonviolent And Legal Immigrants. americans Are Starting To Notice
"The message is that the U.S. and immigration agencies are going to be less tolerant of anti-Americanism or antisemitism when making immigration decisions," Elizabeth Jacobs, director of regulatory affairs and policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, a group that advocates for immigration restrictions, said on Tuesday.
Jacobs said the government is being more explicit in the kind of behaviors and practices officers should consider, but emphasized that discretion is still in place. "The agency cannot tell officers that they have to deny — just to consider it as a negative discretion," she said.
But Ruby Robinson of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center argued constitutional rights apply to all people in the U.S. regardless of status — and predicted legal challenges.
"A lot of this administration’s activities infringe on constitutional rights and do need to be resolved, ultimately, in courts," Robinson added.
Critics like David J. Bier, the director of immigration policy at the libertarian Cato Institute, warned the policy could be wielded to silence dissent and punish political opponents.
"This is a new powerful weapon in President Trump’s arsenal against politically disfavored groups," Bier told the Washington Post.
Jonathan Grode, managing partner of Green and Spiegel immigration law firm, said the policy fits Trump’s longstanding approach and that the administration is within its authority.
"This is what was elected. They’re allowed to interpret the rules the way they want," Grode told the Washington Post. "The policy always to them is to shrink the strike zone. The law is still the same."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ja'han Jones
Wed, August 20, 2025
MSNBC
A new citizen holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony in Metheun, Mass., in 2024. (David L. Ryan / Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The Trump administration is planning to roll out a new screening process to prevent people from working or gaining citizenship in the United States if they purportedly express what officials generally describe as "anti-Americanism."
Unlike the administration’s disturbing plans to create a new layer of screening to make sure naturalized citizens exhibit "good moral character" — a trait most Americans don’t even seem to think the president possesses, according to a recent poll — the new "anti-Americanism" screening will apply both to aspiring citizens and anyone seeking a green card to work in the United States.
As The Associated Press reports:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said officers will now consider whether an applicant for benefits, such as a green card, “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views. “America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” Matthew Tragesser, USCIS spokesman, said in a statement. “Immigration benefits—including to live and work in the United States—remain a privilege, not a right.” It isn’t specified what constitutes anti-Americanism and it isn’t clear how and when the directive would be applied.
As I reported last week, the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is Joseph Edlow, who in a recent Breitbart interview advanced the central tenets of the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which posits that a liberal cabal is attempting to replace white Americans with nonwhite people through immigration, interracial marriage and, eventually, violence. It's a racist theory that has motivated numerous mass murderers.
Now, Edlow’s job will reportedly include overseeing an agency that will screen immigrants’ supposed Americanness to determine whether they are worthy of working in the country or earning citizenship — with little or no official guidance on how these decisions should be made.
Jane Lilly Lopez, an associate professor of sociology at Brigham Young University, told the AP the move is “opening the door for stereotypes and prejudice and implicit bias to take the wheel.”
In a social media post, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a former immigration lawyer and now a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit advocacy group, denounced the new screening as a return of “McCarthyism” to U.S. immigration law, comparing the new screenings to the crusade to root out purported communists led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., in the 1950s.
“McCarthyism returns to immigration law, as @USCIS announces that it will begin screening applicants for immigration benefits for ‘Anti-America ideologies or activities.’" he wrote. “The term has no prior precedent in immigration law and its definition is entirely up to the Trump admin.”
The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to police expression and impose its worldview in other ways, whether through attempts to whitewash Smithsonian museum exhibits and or exert more control over what is taught at American colleges and universities.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Trump administration to vet immigration applications for 'anti-Americanism'
A new citizen holds an American flag during a naturalization ceremony in Metheun, Mass., in 2024. (David L. Ryan / Boston Globe via Getty Images)
The Trump administration is planning to roll out a new screening process to prevent people from working or gaining citizenship in the United States if they purportedly express what officials generally describe as "anti-Americanism."
Unlike the administration’s disturbing plans to create a new layer of screening to make sure naturalized citizens exhibit "good moral character" — a trait most Americans don’t even seem to think the president possesses, according to a recent poll — the new "anti-Americanism" screening will apply both to aspiring citizens and anyone seeking a green card to work in the United States.
As The Associated Press reports:
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said officers will now consider whether an applicant for benefits, such as a green card, “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” anti-American, terrorist or antisemitic views. “America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” Matthew Tragesser, USCIS spokesman, said in a statement. “Immigration benefits—including to live and work in the United States—remain a privilege, not a right.” It isn’t specified what constitutes anti-Americanism and it isn’t clear how and when the directive would be applied.
As I reported last week, the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is Joseph Edlow, who in a recent Breitbart interview advanced the central tenets of the "great replacement" conspiracy theory, which posits that a liberal cabal is attempting to replace white Americans with nonwhite people through immigration, interracial marriage and, eventually, violence. It's a racist theory that has motivated numerous mass murderers.
Now, Edlow’s job will reportedly include overseeing an agency that will screen immigrants’ supposed Americanness to determine whether they are worthy of working in the country or earning citizenship — with little or no official guidance on how these decisions should be made.
Jane Lilly Lopez, an associate professor of sociology at Brigham Young University, told the AP the move is “opening the door for stereotypes and prejudice and implicit bias to take the wheel.”
In a social media post, Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a former immigration lawyer and now a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, a nonprofit advocacy group, denounced the new screening as a return of “McCarthyism” to U.S. immigration law, comparing the new screenings to the crusade to root out purported communists led by Sen. Joseph McCarthy, R-Wis., in the 1950s.
“McCarthyism returns to immigration law, as @USCIS announces that it will begin screening applicants for immigration benefits for ‘Anti-America ideologies or activities.’" he wrote. “The term has no prior precedent in immigration law and its definition is entirely up to the Trump admin.”
The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to police expression and impose its worldview in other ways, whether through attempts to whitewash Smithsonian museum exhibits and or exert more control over what is taught at American colleges and universities.
This article was originally published on MSNBC.com
Trump administration to vet immigration applications for 'anti-Americanism'
Kanishka Singh
Wed, August 20, 2025
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization ceremony in New York City
By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Donald Trump's administration has said it will assess applicants for U.S. work, study and immigration visas for "anti-Americanism" and count any such finding against them, sparking concern about implications for free speech.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a "policy alert" dated Tuesday that it gave immigration officers new guidance on how to exercise discretion in cases where foreign applicants "support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities" as well as "antisemitic terrorism."
Trump has labeled a range of voices as anti-American, including historians and museums documenting U.S. slavery and pro-Palestinian protesters opposing U.S. ally Israel's military assault on Gaza.
"Anti-American activity will be an overwhelmingly negative factor in any discretionary analysis," USCIS said.
"America's benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies."
The announcement did not define anti-Americanism. But the policy manual refers to a section of federal law about prohibiting naturalization of people "opposed to government or law, or who favor totalitarian forms of government."
The full text mentions supporters of communism or totalitarian regimes and people who advocate overthrow of the U.S. government and violence against government officers, among other factors.
USCIS said it expanded the types of applications that have social media vetting, and reviews for "anti-American activity" will be added to that vetting.
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, said the step hearkened to the 1950s when Senator Joseph McCarthy hunted alleged communists in a campaign that became synonymous with political persecution.
"McCarthyism returns to immigration law," he said. Anti-Americanism "has no prior precedent in immigration law and its definition is entirely up to the Trump admin."
In April, the U.S. government said it would begin screening the social media of immigrants and visa applicants for what it called antisemitic activity. Rights advocates raised free speech and surveillance concerns.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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