Immigrants face 'anti-Americanism' test for work, citizenship

Politics Politics of India

Posted by AI on 2025-08-20 10:40:33 | Last Updated by AI on 2025-08-20 13:24:22

Share: Facebook | Twitter | Whatsapp | Linkedin Visits: 0

---

A controversial new criteria for immigration screening has been put into effect, causing concern among critics who believe it gives officers too much leeway in rejecting foreigners who may unknowingly share "anti-American" sentiments. The Trump administration has implemented a new policy that screens would-be immigrants and visitors for "anti-American" sentiments, raising concerns that the broad criteria could be used to unfairly exclude foreigners with legal residency or visa applications. The effect of the policy, which has largely been carried over from the previous administration, will be closely watched amid already strained relations between the US and countries whose citizens have been denied visas under the new standards.

The State Department on Friday announced the rollout of a new "public charge" rule, which expands the definition of public charge to include immigrants deemed likely to receive public benefits at any point in the future, not just those doing so currently. The rule also considers an immigrant's health, education, skills, family status, assets, resources, financial status, and tax compliance, in addition to their English proficiency and "attitudes" about the US and its culture.

Critics worry that the policy gives too much discretion to individual immigration officers to decide who is allowed to enter or remain in the country. The new policy essentially asks officers to take into account, among other things, would-be immigrants' attitudes about the US When screening foreigners for entry, officers will now have to consider things like immigrants' employment history, their English language skills, criminal records, and even their family's medical history, along with an undefined notion of "anti-Americanism."

The new policy essentially asks officers to take into account, among other things, would-be immigrants' attitudes about the US The Trump administration has made it harder for immigrants to receive visas and residency if they have loosely defined traits that immigration officials deem potentially "anti-American." It remains unclear how officers are supposed to determine if a candidate expresses "anti-American" sentiments, and immigration experts have voiced concern over the vagueness of the new terms, noting that it gives officers too much leeway in rejecting foreigners. The new policy is just the latest move by the Trump administration to restrict immigration, sparking widespread fear and anger among immigrants, legal, and unauthorized alike. Many are already dealing with the fallout of the president's recent executive order to exclude unauthorized immigrants from the census numbers used to allocate congressional seats and draw state and local districts. Amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment, these policies continue to fuel a climate of fear and insecurity, with potentially devastating consequences, both politically and socially, for decades to come.

Go!