Constitution Day and Citizenship Day: A Powerful Recognition That America Is Stronger And More Vibrant Because Of Immigrants

Constitution Day and Citizenship Day: A Powerful Recognition That America Is Stronger And More Vibrant Because Of Immigrants

By: Gabe Ortiz |americasvoice.org This month marks 20 years since the first federal recognition of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, which is observed on September 17 and encourages U.S. citizens to learn about their civic responsibilities. It’s also historically been a day for prospective U.S. citizens to complete the naturalization process, whether it’s submitting their application forms […]

USCIS Unveils First Changes to Naturalization Test in Multi-Step Overhaul of American Citizenship Standards

USCIS Unveils First Changes to Naturalization Test in Multi-Step Overhaul of American Citizenship Standards

Changes to naturalization civics test better assess applicants’ knowledge of U.S. history and government WASHINGTON: On September 17, 2025, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services posted a Federal Register notice announcing implementation of the 2025 naturalization civics test. The 2025 test assesses an alien’s understanding of U.S. history and government in line with the statutory requirement and is one […]

BIA Decision Strips Immigration Judges of Bond Authority, All but Guaranteeing Mandatory Detention for Undocumented Immigrants

BIA Decision Strips Immigration Judges of Bond Authority, All but Guaranteeing Mandatory Detention for Undocumented Immigrants

By: Rebecca Cassler | American Immigration Council On September 5, the Trump administration took yet another step to punish undocumented people in the United States. In Matter of Yajure Hurtado, the Board of Immigration Appeals proclaimed that any person who crossed the border unlawfully and is later taken into immigration detention is no longer eligible for […]

New USCIS ‘Special Agents’ Will Be Given the Power to Arrest, Use Deadly Force Against Immigrants

New USCIS ‘Special Agents’ Will Be Given the Power to Arrest, Use Deadly Force Against Immigrants

By: Aaron Reichlin-Melnick and Shev Dalal-Dheini | americanimmigrationcouncil.org| Editorial credit: Walter Cicchetti / Shutterstock.com On September 5, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the agency established by Congress to adjudicate immigration applications, made a startling announcement. For the first time since the agency was created in 2003, the agency will create a new class of […]

Top Immigration Official Defends “Anti‑American” Screening in Green Card Process

Top Immigration Official Defends “Anti‑American” Screening in Green Card Process

By: Mary Campbell In an exclusive interview, Joseph Edlow, newly confirmed Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), has defended a controversial immigration policy shift allowing immigration officers to weigh applicants’ personal views—specifically whether they espouse “anti‑American” ideologies—as part of green card and visa evaluations. What This Change Entails Edlow emphasized that the policy […]

USCIS to Modernize Fee Payments with Electronic Funds

USCIS to Modernize Fee Payments with Electronic Funds

WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has implemented a new way to pay fees using electronic debit from a U.S. bank account. Effective immediately, individuals can make transactions directly to USCIS by completing and signing Form G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions, and filing it with their applications, petitions, or requests. The move aligns with Executive Order 14247, […]

USCIS to Consider Anti-Americanism in Immigrant Benefit Requests

USCIS to Consider Anti-Americanism in Immigrant Benefit Requests

Editorial credit: Evgenia Parajanian / Shutterstock.com WASHINGTON – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is updating guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual regarding the factors that officers consider in certain benefit requests where an exercise of discretion is required, including factors relating to aliens’ past requests for parole and any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations, […]

White House Plans Major Shift in Refugee Priorities

White House Plans Major Shift in Refugee Priorities

By: Mary Campbell The White House is reportedly preparing to cap the U.S. refugee admissions at 40,000 for fiscal year 2026, with a striking three‑quarters of these slots—approximately 30,000 places—earmarked specifically for white South Africans, particularly Afrikaners. This represents not only a sharp reduction from the 100,000 refugees admitted under the Biden administration in fiscal […]

U.S. Citizenship Applicants Face Heightened ‘Good Moral Character’ Scrutiny

U.S. Citizenship Applicants Face Heightened ‘Good Moral Character’ Scrutiny

By: Mary Campbell U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has officially intensified its evaluation of the ‘good moral character’ (GMC) standard for lawful permanent residents applying for U.S. citizenship. Under this revised policy, applicants must now substantiate not only the absence of disqualifying behavior, but also demonstrate active, positive contributions to their communities. Expanded GMC […]

Immigration as an Excuse for Autocracy

Immigration as an Excuse for Autocracy

By: Maribel Hastings| America’s Voice | Editorial credit: aaronschwartzphoto / Shutterstock.com Washington, DC: The militarization of immigration policy is in full swing, and the Trump administration has announced that it is speeding up construction of the largest detention center in the United States, logically on a military base, Fort Bliss, in El Paso, Texas. Although […]