The latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy features Elizabeth Jacobs, Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies, discussing USCIS’s updated guidance on discretion in immigration benefits.

Key Points:

Beyond “Not a Criminal”: New USCIS policy updates require officers to engage in a more holistic analysis of whether naturalization applicants demonstrate “good moral character,” a requirement for naturalization that has been a part of U.S. immigration law since the beginning. In addition, the agency is now asking officers to consider any anti-American, antisemetic, or terrorist activity as “overwhelmingly negative” factors when evaluating whether an applicant warrants a positive grant of discretion.

Discretionary Benefits: Many immigration benefits under the INA — including asylum, national interest waivers under EB-2, and naturalization — are discretionary. Even if eligibility requirements are met, USCIS officers may deny them.

Good Moral Character Assessments:

• Traditionally treated as a checklist; now assessed holistically.
• Focuses on demonstrating positive attributes and rehabilitation, not just the absence of misconduct.

Negative Factors for Discretionary Denials: Officers are instructed to treat support for anti-American ideologies, antisemitism, and terrorism as “overwhelmingly negative factors” when exercising discretion on discretionary immigration benefit requests.

Expanded Use of Vetting Tools:

• Increased use of social media screening, fraud detection, and neighborhood/personal investigations.
• Previous policies often waived these investigations; the update clarifies they are a standard part of discretion.

Balancing Efficiency and Vetting: With millions of applications annually, USCIS must balance rigorous vetting with timely processing. The agency is shifting culture to prioritize serving the American people, not just applicants.

Cultural Shift: USCIS is shifting emphasis from serving as a “service agency” to serving as a vetting agency, using the discretion granted by Congress to protect national security and uphold American values — a departure from prior policies favoring mass approvals.

Immigration Newsmaker Interview: USCIS Director Joe Edlow will be featured today in an Immigration Newsmaker conversation hosted by CIS at the National Press Club. The video will be available at cis.org.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Elizabeth Jacobs is the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Related

USCIS to Consider Anti-Americanism, Antisemitism, and Terrorist Activity When Adjudicating Certain Immigration Benefit Requests

CIS National Security Vetting Failures Database

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

A new episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast features Director of Litigation Julie Axelrod discussing the current status of the Center’s landmark National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) lawsuit, a new CIS case filed in Texas, and the recent “Alligator Alcatraz” litigation.

Axelrod explains how the Trump administration is handling the remedy phase of Massachusetts Coalition for Immigration Reform v. Department of Homeland Security, where CIS successfully argued that the Biden administration violated NEPA when it dismantled border controls allowing in millions of people without doing any environmental impact analysis. NEPA, enacted in 1970, was intended to address environmental impacts of population growth – yet it has rarely been applied to immigration, despite its obvious relevance.

Axelrod argues that applying NEPA consistently would protect the environment, provide transparency, and serve as an insurance policy to prevent future administrations from bypassing environmental review when expanding immigration.

Highlights from the discussion with the Center’s Executive Director Mark Krikorian include:

• CIS’s Successful Lawsuit: The court found that the Biden administration had violated NEPA. The remedy phase could force DHS to conduct the environmental analysis that should have preceded both the Biden DHS’s termination of the “Remain in Mexico” policy and halt in construction of the border wall, and/or could ensure that if a future administration repeats such actions, it would have to do environmental analysis, providing transparency and an opportunity for public input.
• Trump Administration on the Remedy: The Trump administration’s immigration agenda, which largely focuses on reduction, not expansion, of immigration, would not be blocked if the administration were to embrace the idea that increases in immigration should be analyzed under NEPA prior to implementation. Such an embrace would also serve to make the Trump immigration agenda harder for a future administration to undo, as the Biden administration did to the first Trump administration’s policies. Furthermore, as the Alligator Alcatraz case shows, whether the Trump administration embraces NEPA for immigration expansion or not, open-borders groups will continue challenging enforcement actions in court under NEPA.
• New Texas Lawsuit: A coalition of Texas plaintiffs seeks to apply NEPA to Biden-era policies, including the end of “Remain in Mexico,” expansive asylum rules, regulatory expansions to our work programs, and taxpayer-funded NGO programs.
• Alligator Alcatraz Case: Anti-enforcement groups are trying to use NEPA to block expansion of the Florida detention facility, highlighting a double standard – enforcement actions designed to reduce illegal immigration trigger environmental analysis, but policies that increase immigration do not (yet).

Host 

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Julie Axelrod is the Director of Litigation at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Related

CIS Prevails in Challenge to Biden-Harris Immigration Actions

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

This week’s episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast features a wide-ranging conversation with recently retired Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, who served for 30 years and led the agency during the worst border crisis in history. Owens speaks with the Center’s Executive Director Mark Krikorian about the evolution of the Border Patrol over its 100-year history, past lessons learned, and future challenges. Key points include:

• Career and History: Owens joined in 1996 as the Border Patrol was adopting national strategies like Operation Hold the Line and Operation Gatekeeper, shifting from chasing illegal crossers to preventing entry.
• Border Crisis Leadership: As chief, Owens navigated record flows, low morale, and shifting political directives, often focusing on “damage control” to preserve the agency’s mission.
• Barriers and Technology: Physical barriers serve as a “force multiplier” when deployed strategically, buying agents time to detect, respond, and apprehend.
• Future Challenges:
  • Smuggling potentially shifting to new routes
  • Aliens continuing to exploit loopholes, such as asylum.
  • Need for AI and translation tools to handle migrants from a large number of diverse countries.
• Border Patrol Growth: Owens stresses that expansion must be gradual, maintaining high standards and adequate training to avoid weakening the force. 

In his closing commentary, Krikorian highlights a widely reported Center study showing a 2.2 million decline in the immigrant population, including 1.6 million illegal immigrants, in the first half of 2025. Critics argued the drop might be artificial, caused by non-response to the monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) due to fear of enforcement. But Krikorian noted response rates have been falling steadily for years, with no sharper decline under recent enforcement policies, suggesting the measured reduction is real – and that new policies have been successful in reducing illegal immigration.Host Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Jason Owens is former Chief of the Border Patrol.

Related

Overall Foreign-Born Population Down 2.2 Million January to July

Is the Apparent Decline in the Immigrant Population Real?

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In the latest episode of the Center for Immigration Studies podcast, Executive Director Mark Krikorian speaks with Scott Mechkowski, retired Deputy Field Office Director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York. With experience at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its predecessor agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Mechkowski offers an inside view of how immigration enforcement has changed over time.

From his early days as a deportation officer to leading seven Fugitive Operations Teams targeting dangerous criminal aliens, Mechkowski recounts arrests, post-9/11 operations, and the gradual breakdown of cooperation between ICE and New York City authorities under sanctuary policies. He contrasts the first Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement approach — led by then-ICE Acting Director Tom Homan — with the Biden administration’s politicization of the agency under DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

Mechkowski also discusses operational challenges, the role of E-Verify, detention space needs, and the realities behind having arrest targets. His reflections reveal how enforcement priorities, local politics, and national leadership shape ICE’s ability to remove those who should not be in the country.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Scott Mechkowski is a retired Deputy Field Office Director for ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in New York

Related

National Immigration Center for Enforcement

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The Center for Immigration Studies has released a new podcast examining the findings of a recent report, The Foreign-Born Population at the State and Regional Level, 1850 to 2025. The report shows that the foreign-born population – defined as anyone not a U.S. citizen at birth – has reached record levels at the state and regional levels. While the Center regularly highlights national-level immigration trends, this new analysis offers a unique look at state-by-state growth and its implications on schools, wages, healthcare, and working-class Americans. Steven Camarota, lead author of the report and the Center’s director of research, discusses the following findings with host Mark Krikorian:

• Since 1980, the foreign-born population has grown 578 percent in the South and increased 10-fold or more in four states: Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, and Tennessee. It increased at least seven-fold in five other states: South Carolina, Arizona, Utah, Texas, and Alabama. In an additional 17 states it increased more than four-fold.
• The foreign-born share of the population has hit historic highs in 14 states and reached a numerical record in 31 states and D.C.
• From 1980 to 2025, the foreign-born population grew eight times faster than the U.S.-born population nationwide – and 20 times faster in 17 states. 

In today's commentary, Krikorian highlights a new E-Verify report from the Center that examines enforcement challenges. The core problem, the report notes, is not the system itself but identity theft. One key reform: Congress should require states to grant DHS access to driver’s license photos to strengthen verification efforts.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Steven Camarota is the Director of Research of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Related

The Foreign-Born Population at the State and Regional Level, 1850 to 2025

E-Verify and the Invasion of the Identity Snatchers

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The Center for Immigration Studies is proud to release the latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, featuring the opening statements from our 2025 congressional testimony. Since January, CIS experts have testified seven times before the U.S. House and Senate, appearing before committees on Homeland Security, Oversight, and Judiciary. These opening statements reflect the breadth of CIS expertise on border enforcement, parole policy, visa integrity, NGO influence, detention operations, and more.

Highlights include:

• Biden’s Border Betrayal: Criminal Aliens in America — U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security & Immigration (Andrew R. Arthur, July 22)
• The Fiscal Consequences of Parole During the Biden Administration — House Homeland Security Oversight Subcommittee (Steven A. Camarota, July 15)
• Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process — House Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee (Jessica M. Vaughan, June 25)
• Public Funds, Private Agendas: NGOs Gone Wild — House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Efficiency (Mark Krikorian, June 4)
• Examining Threats to ICE Operations — House Judiciary Oversight Subcommittee (Andrew R. Arthur, May 20)
• Restoring Immigration Enforcement in America — House Judiciary Committee (Jessica M. Vaughan, January 22)
• Remain in Mexico — Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee (Andrew R. Arthur, January 16)

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Center staff testimony.

Related

Center testimony page

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

The latest episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, the Center for Immigration Studies' podcast, delves into the role of immigration detention in U.S. enforcement efforts. Hosted by Mark Krikorian, the discussion features insights from Andrew Arthur, a former immigration judge and the Center’s Fellow in Law and Policy, who stresses that detention is required to ensure integrity of the immigration system.

Highlights:

• Purpose of Detention: Detention serves administrative functions, ensuring individuals appear for hearings and are available for removal if ordered.
• Failure to Appear: 34 percent of alien respondents in immigration court fail to appear at some point during the removal proceeding process. Respondents in detention must appear in court whether they want to or not, so the no-show rate is effectively zero, which skews the overall rate of what are termed “in absentia” cases.
• Legal Mandates under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA): Detention of aliens subject to removal proceedings is mandatory under various provisions of the INA, including individuals apprehended entering illegally, criminal aliens post-incarceration, and those under final removal orders.
• Detention Capacity: The lack of detention space is causing a bottleneck in enforcement. The “Big Beautiful Bill” expands detention capacity. potentially increasing bed space by 80,000.
• Detention Standards: ICE follows the Performance-Based National Detention Standards – the gold standard of care and higher than conventional jail standards.
• State and Local Roles: States can assist by providing facilities, with federal reimbursement, to support detention efforts. Examples include Alligator Alcatraz in Florida and soft-sided facilities on military bases in New Jersey and Indiana.

In today's commentary, Mark Krikorian, podcast host and executive director of the Center, highlights The Dignity Act, introduced by Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.). The bill handcuffs immigration enforcement in many ways, amnesties millions, and increases legal immigration, reminding us that the open borders, pro amnesty advocates will never stop pushing their agenda.

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Andrew Arthur is the Resident Fellow in Law and Policy at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Related

The Role of Immigration Detention and Why It is NeededThe ‘Dignity Act’:

 Amnesty for 12 million now plus more than five million extra immigrants over the next decade

The Price of “Dignity”

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In the latest episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast, host and the Center’s executive director Mark Krikorian sits down with Gaby Pacheco, an Ecuador-born “Dreamer” and President and CEO of TheDream.US.

Krikorian, a long-time critic of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), and Pacheco, now an American citizen, discuss the history and politics of the Dream Act and DACA.

Opportunity Lost: Despite holding 60 Senate seats during the first year of the Obama administration, Democrats chose not to move a legislative amnesty for Dreamers – illegal aliens who entered the United States at a young age.

What is DACA?: Having failed to pass an amnesty for Dreamers, President Obama bypassed Congress in 2012 and through executive action created DACA, which provides some of the benefits of the Dream Act, including protection from deportation and employment authorization, to certain illegal aliens who entered the U.S. before age 16. Its legality has been the subject of litigation.

Origins of the Idea for DACA: Pacheco recounts how, having failed to pass the Dream Act through Congress, the administrative approach of DACA was inspired by a 2003 private bill by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program, which provides “temporary” protection from deportation and work authorization eligibility for nationals in the U.S. of countries that have experienced natural disaster or civil strife.

Trump’s 2018 offer: The Trump administration proposed a legislative package that would have given proper legal status to DACA recipients and other DACA-eligible illegal immigrants, covering perhaps as many as 2 million people, in exchange for key reforms in the legal immigration system. It failed in the House.

Looking ahead: Will Congress address DACA?

Host

Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Gaby Pacheco is the President and CEO of TheDream.US.RelatedTheDream.US

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

In this week's episode of Parsing Immigration Policy, Jessica Vaughan, the Center's Director of Policy Studies, expands on her recent testimony before the U.S. House immigration subcommittee on “Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process”.

Under the Biden administration, the number of visa applications and issuances increased significantly, which created difficulties for vetting and greater opportunity for visa fraud. Along with host and Center Executive Director Mark Krikorian, Vaughan explores various actions that can be taken by Congress or the Trump administration to address these risks.

Vaughan identifies several possible changes that could be made administratively.

• Change the culture of customer service at USCIS and State Department that encourages adjudicators to “get to yes”
• Require mandatory interviews of all visa applicants
• Narrow the default authorized duration of stay for short-term tourist and business visas to 30 days instead of an automatic six months

Vaughan also discusses visa categories that she believes should be reviewed by Congress to decide if they need to be managed more closely, cut back, or eliminated altogether, including:

• Diversity Lottery
• U and T visas
• Special Immigrant Juvenile visas
• Optional Practical Training
• J visas

In his closing commentary, Mark Krikorian looks inside the “Big Beautiful Bill” and what its enactment means for immigration policy.

Host

Mark Krikorian in the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Jessica Vaughan is a Director of Policy Studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Related

Jessica Vaughan’s oral and written statements

Video of the full hearing, plus all written witness statements

Overview of Immigration Provisions in H.R.1, the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".

This week’s episode of the Parsing Immigration Policy podcast explores a topic rarely covered in the media: marriage fraud. Guest host Marguerite Telford, the Center’s Director of Communications, sits down with Richard Lee, a former USCIS Immigration Officer and author, to discuss how sham marriages are orchestrated to gain a green card—and eventually citizenship—often then bringing extended family members through chain migration. They also examine how existing U.S. laws and loopholes make it easier for bad actors to exploit the system, in part, by sharing real-life stories.

Key topics:

What is marriage fraud?

 A marriage entered with the primary intention of securing immigration benefits—green cards, citizenship, and eventual chain migration.

Types of marriage fraud

• Single scheme marriage (friendship marriages)
• Single scheme one sided marriage (U.S. citizen used and defrauded)
• Arranged marriage (a paid broker is used and includes fraud rings)

Cases of marriage fraud

The Numbers: Rich Lee draws on his USCIS experience in Atlanta, where he uncovered approximately 3,000 marriage-fraud cases over three years, primarily involving immigrant communities common to the region – the two most common foreign nationals involved were from Nigeria and Ghana.

Where do brokers find the U.S. citizens to exploit?

Lee discusses how homeless people are preyed upon.

VAWA fraud

Aliens exploit the Violence Against Women Act, a federal law that provides protection for victims of domestic violence. The law provides an easy pathway to a green card due to a huge bias towards the alien, who can claim abuse and then self-petition for a green card, all without any in-person interview. This claim of abuse often takes place without the alleged abuser’s knowledge. No evidence or information can be taken from the alleged abuser or his family.

• Telford questions whether it would be a good idea to amend the law so abuse can be contested – maybe adding an adversarial proceeding before an immigration judge.
• Lee believes that VAWA cases should be taken away from the Vermont Service Center.
• Lee also believes that in-person interviews should be required to safeguard against fraudulent misuse.

USCIS culture

Lee explains that he experienced a shift in the agency’s culture during his time as an immigration officer. USCIS is now focused almost exclusively on serving immigrants with little support provided to U.S. citizens.

Victims are encouraged to report fraud on the ICE tipline:1-866-DHS-2-ICE or ICE.gov/tipline

Host

Marguerite Telford is the Director of Communications at the Center for Immigration Studies.

Guest

Richard Lee is a former USCIS Immigration Officer and author.

Related

After the Border: 42 Eye-Opening, Shocking, Crazy, Happy & Fun Stories from a Retired U.S. Immigration Officer

Intro Montage

Voices in the opening montage:

• Sen. Barack Obama at a 2005 press conference.
• Sen. John McCain in a 2010 election ad.
• President Lyndon Johnson, upon signing the 1965 Immigration Act.
• Booker T. Washington, reading in 1908 from his 1895 Atlanta Exposition speech.
• Laraine Newman as a "Conehead" on SNL in 1977.
• Hillary Clinton in a 2003 radio interview.
• Cesar Chavez in a 1974 interview.
• House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaking to reporters in 2019.
• Prof. George Borjas in a 2016 C-SPAN appearance.
• Sen. Jeff Sessions in 2008 comments on the Senate floor.
• Candidate Trump in 2015 campaign speech.
• Charlton Heston in "Planet of the Apes".