USCIS Releases New Mission Statement, Dropping Trump-Era 'America First' Version

On February 9, USCIS released a new Mission Statement, discontinuing the Trump-era 'American First' version.

In 2005, USCIS under the Bush administration issued its first Mission Statement, describing the United States as 'a nation of immigrants' and referring to immigration benefit applicants as 'our customers.' During Obama's eight years in office, the USCIS mission statement remained unchanged.

In 2018, the USCIS under the Trump administration revised its mission statement, removing the phrase 'nation of immigrants' and the reference to applicants as 'our customers.' Instead, it emphasized that USCIS administers the 'lawful immigration system' and that, when processing immigration benefit applications, it must focus on 'protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values.'

The Biden administration's USCIS mission statement is much shorter. It removes all Trump-era 'America First' language and no longer mentions 'nation of immigrants,' but it states that the United States is 'a nation of welcome and possibility' and, for the first time, mentions respect for all we serve.

The full mission statements from the three periods of USCIS are as follows:

• Bush/Obama era: 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.

• Trump era: 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.

• Biden era: USCIS upholds America’s promise as a nation of welcome and possibility with fairness, integrity, and respect for all we serve.