Overview
- - Internal DHS materials tell USCIS officers to treat endorsements of “anti‑American” or “anti‑Semitic” views as overwhelmingly negative in green card cases, citing examples like posts criticizing Israel or images of the Israeli flag crossed out.
- - The guidance lists desecrating the U.S. flag as a negative factor and instructs officers to report cases involving such ideology to managers and the USCIS general counsel for review.
- - Officers are told to focus on applicants tied to on‑campus activity labeled anti‑American or anti‑Semitic after the October 2023 Hamas attacks, with examples drawn from pro‑Palestinian protests and social media.
- - Agency leaders defend the approach as security‑driven, while civil‑liberties advocates note that the Supreme Court protects flag burning as speech and warn the policy penalizes lawful expression.
- - Approvals for permanent residency have fallen by roughly half in recent months as USCIS expands its law‑enforcement role, and the crackdown has included student‑visa revocations and plans for broader social‑media reviews.