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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reportedly plans to form a police force to enforce immigration laws.
Under the plan, several hundred federal law enforcement officers would be trained to detect fraud in immigration applications and have authority to carry firearms and arrest applicants or attorneys who prepared petitions, the The Wall Street Journal reports.
“I’m not expecting this to have a chilling effect on applications,” USCIS director Joe Edlow told the paper. “I’m expecting this to have a chilling effect on fraudulent applications, and that’s what I want.”
USCIS is the agency primarily responsible for issuing green cards, visas, and citizenship.
Why It Matters
USCIS has traditionally been kept away from immigration enforcement to help immigrants feel more comfortable submitting personal information
The new move is part of a wider effort to boost resources for immigration enforcement operations. President Donald Trump vowed to marshal together state and federal agencies to conduct mass deportations, and his administration has utilized USCIS, which is primarily a benefits agency, to curb migration.
What To Know
Edlow aid the newly unveiled police force will begin with an estimated 200 agents, the Journal reported.
The outlet reported that the force will be recruited and trained over the next few months and will then embed within immigration officials nationwide.
Recent updates from USCIS have expanded the factors officials consider when evaluating applicants. That includes social-media vetting for content that could be deemed hostile to U.S. values, and an updated policy manual to penalise “anti-American” acts.
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
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