No one tell the Statue of Liberty—or Melania Trump’s parents—but the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services just cut the phrase “nation of immigrants” from its mission statement.
As first reported by The Intercept, the agency in charge of immigration services in this land of ours is instead emphasizing “safeguarding its integrity” and “securing the homeland” as its mission.
The new mission statement reads: “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.”
According to CNN, the agency’s director, L. Francis Cissna, sent a letter to employees explaining the shifting mission on the grounds that the agency is responsible for ensuring “that people who are eligible for immigration benefits receive them and those who are not eligible—either because they don’t qualify or because they attempt to qualify by fraud—don’t receive them” and that “those who would do us harm are not granted immigration benefits.” Cissna also noted that the agency will “answer to the American people.”
When asked for clarification about cutting the phrase “nation of immigrants,” a spokesperson for the agency told The Intercept that the revised mission statement “speaks for itself.” And you know what? It really does. Hopefully France won’t repossess Lady Liberty.
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