The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today demanded that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) immediately rescind a new policy that threatens both immigration benefits and the First Amendment rights of immigrant communities, particularly those advocating for Palestinian human rights.
On August 19, USCIS released Policy Alert PA-2025-16, instructing officers to treat as an “overwhelmingly negative” factor any applicant alleged to have “endorsed, promoted, supported, or otherwise espoused” the views of so-called “anti-American ideologies” or groups, including those labeled as tied to “antisemitic terrorism.” The guidance applies immediately to a wide range of benefits, including adjustment of status, extensions and changes of status, employment authorization, student reinstatement, national interest waivers, and EB-5 petitions.
CAIR warns that these vague, politically charged, and Israel-First standards will be weaponized to punish Palestinians, Muslims, Arabs, and their allies for engaging in protected advocacy. This includes criticism of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, its forced starvation of civilians, ethnic cleansing of Palestinian communities, illegal land theft and occupation, settler violence, and apartheid policies. The policy also risks denying benefits to those who support boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) campaigns as a lawful, nonviolent means of advancing Palestinian rights.
In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said:
“USCIS has introduced sweeping Israel-First ideological tests that turn immigration officers into thought police. This guidance allows officials to deny life-changing benefits to American residents, students, and workers, not for any misconduct, but for lawful political expression, including opposition to genocide and support for boycotts.
“Immigrants should not have to choose between their immigration status and their conscience. Protected advocacy for Palestinian human rights must never be redefined as a national security threat.
“We are demanding that USCIS rescind this policy immediately. Congress must also conduct oversight to ensure that immigration adjudications are not politicized or manipulated to shield Israel from accountability.”
CAIR is urging:
- USCIS to rescind Policy Alert PA-2025-16.
- Congress to investigate and block the use of immigration law as a political weapon against free speech.
- The administration to guarantee that opposition to genocide, apartheid, and land theft is never grounds for denying immigration benefits.
CAIR continues to monitor the implementation of this policy and encourages individuals experiencing discriminatory treatment to report cases immediately.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com