White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the administration is hiring “homeland defenders” to conduct interviews for green cards, work visas and citizenship.
He shared a post on X from the Department of Homeland Security which called on applicants to “protect your homeland and defend your culture.”
Newsweek contacted the DHS for comment via email on Tuesday.
Why It Matters
Miller’s call for “homeland defenders” comes as U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is set to introduce a tougher application process for green card holders seeking naturalization.
Critics say the language used by Miller and in the USCIS job posting signals a hardline approach and casts applicants in a suspicious light, framing them as potentially attempting to exploit the system.
What To Know
The USCIS Immigration Officers job advert shared by Miller invites applicants to join the “critical mission of protecting America from those who seek to exploit our immigration system.”
It lists several case studies in which USCIS assisted federal investigations to catch “criminal aliens.”
The latest update from Miller comes as new changes to the process for green card holders applying for citizenship come into force on October 20.
Among the changes is an expansion of the civics test, which gauges an applicant’s understanding of U.S. history and government, and expanded background checks.
USCIS officers will also evaluate citizenship applicants’ “good moral character,” including a focus on assessing whether they have made positive contributions to American society rather than just the absence of criminal activity.
This could involve “neighborhood investigations,” conducted on a discretionary case-by-case basis, which could involve gathering letters from employers, colleagues, neighbors, or community members, or interviews with people who know the applicant.
These types of investigations have not been carried out on a large scale since the 1990s.
Doris Meissner, senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, and former director of the U.S. Immigration Service, previously told Newsweek that the language used by the administration in these updates was notable.
“The way in which they’re explaining why they’re doing this, really casts doubt on people’s eligibility,” Meissner said. “It suggests that people applying for naturalization are somehow either not eligible or have questionable intent for naturalizing or it needs to be clearly established that they will be good Americans.”
What People Are Saying
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on X: “Calling all patriots. USCIS is now hiring “HOMELAND DEFENDERS.” Your job will be to interview applicants for green cards, work visas and citizenship for approval or denial. Great pay, flexible hours, stay local. Sign up to be a Homeland Defender today!”
The Department of Homeland Security on X: “Those who do not want to be partakers of the American spirit ought not to settle in America.” – Calvin Coolidge. BECOME A HOMELAND DEFENDER TODAY”
What Happens Next
The new process for green card holders seeking naturalization takes effect on October 20.