USCIS says Trump was not the reason it dropped 'nation of immigrants' from mission statement
by Anna Giaritelli
Feb 22, 2018, 7:34 PM

The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency amended its mission statement Thursday to no longer include the term "nation of immigrants" and said the change was not done at the direction of President Trump or the White House.

"The White House did not direct USCIS to change its mission statement. It was developed and debuted within the agency by USCIS Director Cissna during his first senior leadership conference with USCIS staff, and reflects the director’s guiding principles for the agency. The new mission statement also has the support of the secretary of Homeland Security," a USCIS official told the Washington Examiner in an email.

The old mission statement read, "USCIS secures America’s promise as a nation of immigrants by providing accurate and useful information to our customers, granting immigration and citizenship benefits, promoting an awareness and understanding of citizenship, and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system."

The new statement says "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."

The change was done quietly Thursday. USCIS Director Francis Cissna emailed staff to explain why he viewed the change necessary but did not issue a press release to inform the public.

"USCIS employees are passionate about upholding the rule of law and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system. ... To reflect these principles, and to guide us in the years ahead, I am pleased to share with you our agency’s new mission statement," Cissna wrote. "I believe this simple, straightforward statement clearly defines the agency’s role in our country’s lawful immigration system and the commitment we have to the American people."

"Referring to applicants and petitioners for immigration benefits, and the beneficiaries of such applications and petitions, as 'customers' promotes an institutional culture that emphasizes the ultimate satisfaction of applicants and petitioners, rather than the correct adjudication of such applications and petitions according to the law. Use of the term leads to the erroneous belief that applicants and petitioners, rather than the American people, are whom we ultimately serve," he added. "All applicants and petitioners should, of course, always be treated with the greatest respect and courtesy, but we can’t forget that we serve the American people."

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/uscis-...article/2649813


BEFORE
https://web.archive.org/web/201802211636...cis.gov/aboutus

AFTER
https://www.uscis.gov/aboutus