Trump admin revamps visa process in 2025, shaking up immigration system

The Trump administration this year began revamping immigration processes administered by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), including what it says is the rooting out of waste, fraud and abuse in a range of programs and strengthening the citizenship process.

The goal is to “restore integrity” to the immigration system, ensuring “only individuals who love America, align with our culture, and share our values, are welcomed into the country,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

Enforcing immigration law

The administration reversed a Biden-era policy enabling USCIS officers to enforce immigration law. This includes identifying those in violation of federal laws and issuing Notices to Appear before a federal immigration judge. Since Jan. 20, USCIS has issued 196,600 NTAs, DHS says.

Also since Jan. 20, USCIS officers made more than 29,000 immigration fraud referrals nationwide to its Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate. The FDNSD inv...