US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will begin incorporating an alien’s antisemitic activity, including social media posts and the physical harassment of Jewish individuals, as a factor in decisions regarding immigration benefit requests.
This policy will immediately affect individuals applying for lawful permanent resident status, foreign students, and those affiliated with educational institutions linked to antisemitic activity.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that this action is consistent with Executive Orders issued by President Donald Trump, including the “Combatting Anti-Semitism” order, the “Additional Measures to Combat Anti-Semitism” order, and the “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats” order. The DHS asserts that it will enforce relevant immigration laws to protect the U.S. from extremists and terrorist aliens, including those who support antisemitic terrorism, violent antisemitic ideologies, and designated antisemitic terrorist organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, and Ansar Allah (the Houthis).
According to a statement attributed to DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin, the US does not intend to admit or allow the stay of individuals who sympathize with terrorism. The statement further indicates that advocating for antisemitic violence and terrorism under the guise of the First Amendment will not be tolerated.
Under this new guidance, USCIS will consider social media content that suggests an alien’s endorsement, espousal, promotion, or support of antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative element in any discretionary analysis conducted when adjudicating immigration benefit requests. The agency has stated that this guidance is effective immediately.
A Jewish man. Photo credit: shatishira from Pixabay.
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