HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – A local attorney discusses the implications of a new White House policy where immigrants will be screened for having views that are “anti-American.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) says when immigrants are trying to apply for benefits, such as a green card, immigration officers will start looking for “any involvement in anti-American or terrorist organizations” or “evidence of antisemitic activity.”
Huntsville immigration attorney Keith Cornett says this new policy is really about heightening existing ones.
Cornett says with the vague language that’s been put out so far, it’s hard to say what exactly the administration means. But he believes that this policy may have come about because of protests over the past several months.
Cornett says he’s dealt with almost a thousand immigrants trying to get legal status, and none of them have ever expressed any view he considers anti-American.
He believes subjectivity could end up being an issue among officers, but says he doesn’t have that concern in Alabama.
“They could have that bias, but in general, the USCIS officers, at least in our Montgomery office, they’re very professional,” Cornett said. “They do their job, and I never ever did an interview where I felt like the officer wasn’t being fair. Ever.”
Authorities say the screening will include an in-depth social media check, which Cornett says already existed to an extent.
He has faith that even if an immigration officer makes an unjust ruling, the system in place will identify that.
“If an officer was to come forward and say, ‘This individual probably doesn’t merit the award of a green card, for instance.’ Well, the supervisor has an opportunity to look at it and examine the rationale of that officer,” he said. “How diligently they exercise their oversight, the supervisory chain? Who knows. But I would say typically, that works pretty well.”
Cornett also says officers may focus more heavily on criminal history when making these decisions.
USCIS has not clarified when this policy will be implemented, but Cornett is confident that when it happens, it won’t be an issue in Alabama.
Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!
Copyright 2025 WAFF. All rights reserved.