The Trump administration has made significant attempts to seal up immigration policies, halting green card processing for certain applicants and ending the humanitarian parole program for migrants. All of these are part of a broader effort to implement more stringent vetting procedures, focusing on national security and fraud prevention.
Green Card Processing Suspended
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will briefly halt green card requests for refugees who have been granted asylum admission. The move is part of two executive orders signed by President Trump, which will tighten screening and vetting processes. The suspension is necessary to assess possible threats in fraud, public safety, and national security, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Trump’s executive orders require federal agencies to “vet and screen to the maximum degree possible all aliens who intend to be admitted, enter, or are already inside the United States.” This means that applications for permanent residency would be scrutinized more stringently before processing. The administration has argued that these steps are necessary for national security, but opponents see them as a means of restricting legal immigration.
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Humanitarian Parole Program Closes
In another huge policy shift, the administration announced the revocation of temporary legal status for 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who had arrived in the U.S. on the CHNV program. Introduced during the Biden administration, the program allowed immigrants from these countries to live and work in the U.S. for two years under humanitarian parole. But as per Trump’s new policy, their legal status will be terminated on April 24.
The government is also considering the case of around 240,000 Ukrainians who had migrated to the U.S. when Russia invaded their country in 2021. While no action has been taken, reportedly Trump has been considering withdrawing their legal status too.
Stricter Vetting and Surveillance
Through the latest announcement the Trump administration has also ushered in increased scrutiny for immigrants. Applicatio for citizenship, green cards, and asylum are strictly been monitored. This includes a required social media screening, which USCIS asserts is necessary for enhanced identity verification and security screening. Social media screening has been part of the vetting process before, but the new policy requires applicants to submit their social media handles for more thorough screening.
These incidents occur at the same time that foreign governments are warning tourists of enhanced enforcement on U.S. borders. Tourists are complaining that Customs and Border Patrol agents have been detaining tourists and legal immigrants for long periods for questioning. Some have even been refused entry for the content that is on their phones and social media platforms.
High-Profile Detentions Raise Concerns
Several high-profile detentions have put the spotlight on the aggressive immigration enforcement by the government. A British artist was detained and called an “illegal alien” after she attempted to cross the US-Canada border with a malfunctioning visa. A French scientist was denied entry when authorities found anti-Trump messages on his phone. The scientist was reportedly interrogated by the FBI before being deported.
Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney was also detained for nearly two weeks after her work visa was revoked. She was reportedly treated as a prisoner, handcuffed in shackles, and held in miserable conditions. She described it as a “psychological experiment” and called for better treatment of detained immigrants.
A Shift in U.S. Immigration Policy
The latest actions of the Trump administration are a radical departure from previous immigration policies. By halting green card processing and closing down humanitarian parole, the government is signaling a tighter policy on legal as well as illegal immigration. While the officials argue that these policies are for national security reasons, critics are of the view that they are discriminatory towards vulnerable groups and do damage to America’s reputation as a nation of immigrants.
With lawsuits already underway, the fate of tens of thousands of immigrants hangs in the balance. The coming months will determine whether these policies are upheld by courts or are held back by interest groups and legislatures
