NEW YORK, NY – Yesterday, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services removed “nation of immigrants” from its mission statement and replaced it with “protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values” to reflect Trump’s America First values.
In response to USCIS’s new mission statement, the New York Immigration Coalition Executive Director, Steven Choi, issued the following statement:
“Trump’s ‘alternative facts’ can’t change the reality of this country: we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. Regardless of what it says on the USCIS website today, America is made great by a common history and shared values that will survive long after Donald Trump leaves the White House.”
Background
USCIS's new mission statement reads:
“U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administers the nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values.”
USCIS’s previous mission statement, which is no longer available on the website, read:
"USCIS secures America’s promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system."