USCIS Begins ‘Anti‑Americanism’ Screening of Immigrants Seeking Work and Citizenship

(U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on August 19, 2025 began enforcing a new screening policy that flags applicants for lawful work, permanent residency, and citizenship for signs of anti‑Americanism, antisemitism, or support for terrorist groups. The guidance applies to all pending and future cases and centers on social media review.

Under the policy, officers weigh public posts, affiliations, and statements when deciding discretionary benefits, including green cards, employment‑based petitions such as EB‑5, parole, and adjustment of status. The agency frames the move as part of a broader national security push that folds ideological screening into routine adjudications.

Policy changes — key points

• Effective date: August 19, 2025 — the policy now covers all relevant filings, not just new submissions.
• Scope: Discretionary immigration benefits, including:
  • permanent residency (green cards)
  • work authorization
  • parole
  • employment‑based visas (e.g., EB‑5)
• Criteria: Whether an applicant has “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused”:
  • anti‑American beliefs
  • antisemitic views
  • support for terrorist organizations (Hamas and Hezbollah cited as examples)
• Social media scrutiny: Officers may analyze profiles and posts for signals tied to antisemitism or anti‑Americanism.
• Discretionary nature: These factors weigh heavily against approval but do not automatically require denial.

“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti‑American ideologies,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said, adding that immigration benefits are a privilege, not a right. The Department of Homeland Security supports stricter review for terrorist sympathizers and those who praise antisemitic violence online.

This shift follows a January 2025 executive order from President Trump, “Protecting the United States from Foreign Terrorists and Other National Security and Public Safety Threats,” which called for tighter screening of foreign nationals and allowed room for broader travel restrictions tied to security assessments. Analysis by VisaVerge.com notes the expansion of ideological checks fits within the administration’s 2025 agenda to bar people judged to hold Marxist or other “anti‑American” beliefs.

Implementation and practical effects

Practical effects touch common immigration paths. The policy can lengthen vetting for green cards, work permits, or citizenship because officers now consider an applicant’s online voice.

• Officers can request additional evidence or schedule interviews to ask about posts, groups, and events an applicant liked, shared, or attended.
• The policy applies to pending files, which may increase stress for families and applicants already in process.
• USCIS instructs officers to treat evidence of antisemitism, praise of terrorist groups, or anti‑American themes as strong negative factors.

How the process typically works (step by step)

1. Application filed.
2. Standard eligibility review.
3. Expanded discretionary review focused on anti‑American, antisemitic, or terror‑related content, including social media.
4. If such content is found, negative factors weigh strongly against approval.
5. Decision issued, or a request for more evidence/interview is sent.
6. If denied, options for appeal or motions are limited due to the discretionary nature.

Social media and evidence

USCIS’s social media review can reach across platforms, including X, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Officers may look for patterns — not just one‑off remarks — such as:

• support for Hamas, Hezbollah, or related groups
• affiliations or public events suggesting support for violence or government overthrow
• recurring themes that indicate endorsement of extremist or antisemitic views

Officers may treat affiliations, donations, travel to events, and public attendance as evidence if they suggest support for violent activity.

Impact on employers, investors, and families

• Employment‑based petitions (including EB‑5) may face extra questions about:
  • an applicant’s online footprint
  • travel to certain events
  • donations to flagged groups
• For companies, this can mean longer timelines for onboarding, especially when work authorization is discretionary or parole is used for relocation.
• Families adjusting status could receive new document requests about social media accounts and public statements, even if their filings predate the policy.

Attorneys advise applicants to:
– review and possibly clean up public profiles,
– avoid inflammatory posts,
– be prepared to explain context, satire, or reposted content.

Concerns and legal reactions

Advocates and academics warn the standard is subjective and note the policy offers no fixed definition of “anti‑Americanism,” risking misinterpretation of cultural context or sarcasm. Jane Lilly Lopez, a sociology professor, cautioned that implicit bias may shape officers’ judgments and outcomes.

• Civil rights groups are preparing for potential lawsuits raising First Amendment concerns about viewpoint‑based decisions.
• Legal scholars point out that immigration law grants wide discretion over benefits, but courts may test whether denying benefits based on speech crosses constitutional lines — particularly when no direct tie to crime or security breaches exists.

What USCIS says and what applicants should expect

USCIS stresses continuity: eligibility rules remain in place, but the agency will apply sharper scrutiny to beliefs that suggest hostility to the United States or Jewish people, and to any praise of designated terrorist groups. This signals tighter vetting at the margins, where discretion often decides close cases.

Applicants and sponsors should expect:

• More questions about affiliations, protests, hashtags, and group memberships.
• Broader security checks matching names, emails, and handles to watchlists.
• Possible delays from added evidence requests or interviews.

Officers will not automatically deny a case for one misstep. However, a pattern of posts that:

• cheer violence,
• deny the Holocaust,
• or urge the overthrow of the U.S. government

is likely to weigh heavily against approval, even if basic eligibility rules are met.

Practical tips and next steps

• Check receipt notices and case status updates regularly.
• Respond promptly to any Request for Evidence (RFE) to reduce delays.
• Employers/sponsors should keep clear records of recruitment, payroll, and funding to provide context if questioned.
• Applicants should document explanations for posts, attendance, or past affiliations and be ready to show mitigating context.

The updated standards and officer guidance are in the USCIS Policy Manual. Readers can review official materials at https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual for agency publications and reference documents.

Stay prepared: because the policy reaches pending cases and broadens discretionary review, applicants, sponsors, and attorneys should review online footprints now and keep documentation ready in case officers ask for context.