The Trump administration has issued a notice stating the federal agency responsible for deciding requests for immigration benefits, such as work documents or citizenship, will begin to factor in whether applicants hold “anti-American” sentiments.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, a Department of Homeland Security agency, announced a change to its policy manual on Tuesday that states USCIS officers should examine whether applicants are connected or supportive of anti-American or terrorist organizations when deciding immigration benefit requests.

Recommended Stories

• Federal agent fires at moving vehicle during immigration stop in California
• Largest-ever immigrant detention site opened at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas
• Maine police officer arrested by ICE agrees to leave country

“America’s benefits should not be given to those who despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies,” USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said in a statement. “Immigration benefits — including to live and work in the United States — remain a privilege, not a right.”

Immigration benefits include the granting of U.S. citizenship to someone who is eligible to naturalize, allowing a person to reside in the United States on a permanent basis, and providing documents to work in the country legally.

Benefits in this case are not meant to refer to taxpayer-subsidized benefits, such as Social Security or unemployment benefits.

“USCIS is reiterating its guidance that an alien’s compliance with immigration laws is a relevant factor when determining if a favorable exercise of discretion is warranted and updating the Policy Manual to provide additional guidance in circumstances where an alien has endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused the views of a terrorist organization or group, including aliens who support or promote anti-American ideologies or activities, antisemitic terrorism and antisemitic terrorist organizations, or who promote antisemitic ideologies,” the agency said in a statement.

The move is a part of the Trump administration’s crackdown on non-U.S. citizens in the U.S., whom it views as unsupportive.

Late last week, USCIS also issued a policy memorandum that stated “aliens applying for naturalization [U.S. citizenship] must demonstrate that he or she has been and continues to be an individual of good moral character (GMC).” 

Under that pretense, applicants will be considered based on behavior, adherence to societal norms, and positive contributions to society, according to USCIS.

In March, the Trump administration announced that it had revoked the visas of pro-Hamas foreign students as part of a heavy-handed crackdown on terrorist sympathizers, according to the State Department.

LARGEST-EVER IMMIGRANT DETENTION SITE OPENED AT FORT BLISS IN EL PASO, TEXAS

“The department, I can say this, specifically revokes visas every day in order to secure America’s borders and keep our communities safe and will continue to do so because the process is ongoing,” State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a press conference at the time.

The State Department had also launched an artificial intelligence-driven effort to police social media for pro-Hamas posts from foreign students.