After the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, the US is taking a tougher stance on legal immigration. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced stronger checks on H-1B visas, student visas, family-based applications, and other immigration programs, IANS reported. The changes come as part of fraud investigations, new rules, and a bigger enforcement effort revealed in a year-end report.
Biggest enforcement effort: Operation Twin Shield
USCIS, under Operation Twin Shield, uncovered misuse of H-1B and student visas, as well as fake marriage-based applications. According to IANS, the crackdown included thousands of workplace inspections, nearly 1,500 in-person interviews, denial of benefits, and arrests made by USCIS.
Since January 20, USCIS has referred over 14,400 people to ICE due to public safety, national security, and fraud concerns. Among them were 182 confirmed or suspected national security threats. Cooperation with law enforcement led to over 2,400 arrests at USCIS offices this year.
Changes to work permits
The agency has changed how employment authorisation works:
- Automatic extensions for some work permits while renewals are pending have ended.
- The maximum validity of certain work permits has been cut from five years to 18 months. This allows USCIS to check applicants more often.
H-1B visa focus
USCIS is proposing a new rule to give priority to higher-skilled, higher-paid workers for H-1B visas. The goal is to protect American workers’ wages, job conditions, and opportunities. At the same time, the agency has introduced a rule to streamline agricultural work visas, supporting the country’s vital agricultural industry.
Family-based immigration under scrutiny
Family-based immigration is also being closely checked. USCIS said it is now looking deeper at marriages and family ties in applications to make sure they are real and not fake schemes to get immigration benefits.
Under Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow, the agency said it is following an “America First” approach. This policy focuses on public safety, national security, and keeping the immigration system secure and accountable.
Edlow, in a statement cited by IANS, said, “With Secretary Noem in charge of homeland security, USCIS has taken an ‘America First’ approach, restoring order, security, integrity, and accountability to America’s immigration system.”
Temporary halts and high-risk country checks
After a Nov. 26 attack near the White House, involving an Afghan national, USCIS temporarily paused asylum processing for certain groups. It also ordered a review of green card applications from certain high-risk countries and paused some immigration petitions from Afghanistan and a few other nations of concern. Officers are now instructed to consider country-specific risks when reviewing applicants from 19 high-risk countries.
On Dec. 5, USCIS launched a new vetting centre to strengthen immigration checks using advanced technology and closer coordination with law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
What is Operation Twin Shield
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), together US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), conducted Operation Twin Shield, a crackdown on immigration fraud in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area from September 19 to 28. The operation targeted site visits and careful checks for applicants and petitioners with pending immigration benefits who met specific risk criteria. “This effort demonstrates our commitment to protecting the integrity of the US immigration system while keeping the public safe,” a USCIS spokesperson said in a press release.
According to the department, “The operation aligns with Executive Order 14161, Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threat. The types of applications for immigration benefits investigated included marriage and family-based petitions, employment authorizations, and certain parole-related requests.”
Following the operation’s success, USCIS officers are now empowered to thoroughly vet applicants and take action against immigration fraud wherever it is found, in line with the law.