The US agency tasked with green card allocation and other citizenship decisions can now hire its own armed law enforcement agents. The Donald Trump administration announced yet another policy change on Thursday — empowering USCIS to investigate, arrest, and prosecute people for immigration violations. The agency has already initiated plans to train several hundred agents before equipping them with guns and additional powers. The change announced by the Department of Homeland Security will come into effect from October.
What is the change?
According to the official statement, USCIS employees will now be able to “make arrests, carry firearms, and even execute search and arrest warrants”. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services agency has also indicated plans to train ‘several hundred’ special agents to actively search for fraud in applications. They will also have the right to arrest applicants (and lawyers who helped them prepare the petitions) for immigration violations or other criminal charges.
The Kristi Noem-led Department insisted in an official statement that the addition of these armed federal agents would allow USCIS to “thoroughly fulfill its national security, fraud detection, and public safety missions related to immigration adjudications”. These new agents will focus primarily on investigating immigration fraud — including fraudulent visa and green card applications. The notice also said that the department director “has the authority to order expedited removal and investigate civil and criminal violations of the immigration laws within the jurisdiction of USCIS”.
Can this be a problem?
US Citizenship and Immigration Services has always been kept separate from immigration enforcement to ensure that applicants could comfortably submit their personal information and attend interviews. Critics suggest that having law enforcement officials who could potentially arrest them at interview sites may have a chilling effect on their willingness to apply for benefits even when eligible.