Overview
- Training materials distributed in March instruct immigration officers to weigh “anti-American” or antisemitic expression as an overwhelmingly negative factor in green card reviews.
- The guide lists examples that count against applicants, including posts that say “Stop Israeli Terror in Palestine” with the Israeli flag crossed out, maps replacing Israel with “Palestine,” calls for Israelis to “taste what people in Gaza are tasting,” and burning or defacing the U.S. flag.
- Officers are told to focus on applicants linked to on-campus protests and to flag suspected cases to supervisors and the USCIS general counsel.
- Officials defend the approach as a security measure, with a USCIS spokesman saying, “If you hate America, you have no business demanding to live in America,” and the White House saying the policy is not about free speech.
- Green card approvals have fallen by more than half in recent months, and critics warn the guidance could punish protected expression and place foreign students who protested at higher risk of denial.