NILC Statement on USCIS’ New Mission Statement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2022

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NILC Statement on USCIS’ New Mission Statement

WASHINGTON — Marielena Hincapié, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center and the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund, issued the following statement after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) unveiled its new mission statement:

“USCIS’ new mission statement is an important step toward rebuilding trust after four years of deliberate and systematic cruelty toward immigrants during the Trump administration. The previous administration understood the power of language and narrative to shape culture, including through the intentional dehumanization and erasure of our communities.

“Words have a tremendous power to shape policy, and by introducing inclusive words like ‘welcome,’ ‘possibility,’ and ‘respect’ into its mission statement, USCIS now has a clear North Star which should be its blueprint for creating a more humane immigration system that centers the dignity and humanity of all immigrants and creates the possibility of the United States once again becoming a more welcoming nation that is also respectful of our history.”

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