United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, typically responsible for issuing green cards and visas, announced a new agency rule on Thursday that will authorize hiring armed special agents who can make arrests for civil and criminal violations of federal immigration laws.
The firearm-carrying agents will be “empowered to investigate, arrest, and present for prosecution those who violate America’s immigration laws,” the immigration agency said in a statement. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem bestowed the agency with the new authority.
USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said, “USCIS has always been an enforcement agency. By upholding the integrity of our immigration system, we enforce the laws of this nation.”
“As Secretary Noem delegated lawful authorities to expand the agency’s law enforcement capabilities, this rule allows us to fulfill our critical mission,” he added. “This historic moment will better address immigration crimes, hold those that perpetrate immigration fraud accountable, and act as a force multiplier for DHS and our federal law enforcement partners, including the Joint Terrorism Task Force.”
The final rule, scheduled for publication in the Federal Register on Friday, will take effect in 30 days.
The rule will empower the USCIS special agents to identify and act upon fraudulent immigration applications. Edlow said as much in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on the rule. He assured that those who file legitimate applications won’t be affected.
“I’m not expecting this to have a chilling effect on applications,” Edlow told the outlet. “I’m expecting this to have a chilling effect on fraudulent applications, and that’s what I want.”
Critics are concerned that law enforcement’s presence at citizenship interview sites could deter immigrants from applying for eligible benefits, according to the outlet.
IMMIGRATION CHIEF DECLARES ‘WAR’ ON FRAUD AND EASY CITIZENSHIP TESTS
Instead of handing over cases to the Department of Homeland Security, USCIS can now handle its investigations internally. The agency did not previously engage in immigration enforcement activities.
The Trump administration has sent immigration agents to arrest illegal immigrations at their citizenship interviews. In one instance, Columbia University student and anti-Israel activist Mohsen Mahdawi was detained in Vermont in April during his naturalization interview. The incident sparked backlash from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), who demanded Mahdawi’s release. Following a federal judge’s order, Mahdawi was released about two weeks later.
