Green card-seeking migrants may be denied for anti-American opinions

( NewsNation ) — Immigrants seeking green cards may now run into obstacles in having their applications approved based on their previous social media activity or critical comments involving personal political positions or statements that the Trump administration may consider un-American.

The Trump administration has reportedly issued new guidance for green card consideration, which states that the immigration documentation that permits migrants to live legally in the United States can now be denied based on social media activity, according to a New York Times report .

The newspaper, citing Department of Homeland Security training materials, reported that migrants who participate in pro-Palestinian protests or post comments online criticizing Israel or desecrating the American flag can be denied green cards.

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In a statement provided to NewsNation, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson Zach Kahler said that “certain behaviors and statements raise serious concerns” for the agency’s personnel who oversee reviewing green card applications.

Those concerns include migrants “espousing terrorist ideologies, expressing hatred for American values, advocating for the violent overthrow of the United States government or providing material support to terrorist organizations.”

“Such actions warrant closer scrutiny,” the USCIS spokesperson said.

The New York Times report also found that green card approvals have diminished by more than half in recent months. According to published statistics , the United States issued 1.36 million green cards during fiscal year 2024, which represented a 15.6% increase from the previous year.

However, Forbes, citing government data, recently reported that Trump administration policies have led to a spike in green card denials, including a denial rate of 46.6% in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025.

Kahler said migrants applying to become naturalized citizens must demonstrate good moral character and attachment to the principles of the U.S. Constitution. He said that U.S. citizenship and green card possession are privileges for those “who respect and uphold the principles upon which this nation is founded.”

“If you hate America, you have no business demanding to live in America,” Kahler told NewsNation.

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However, critics of the new green card guidance argue that migrants seeking to become naturalized citizens are having their First Amendment rights violated by the Trump administration.

U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland, wrote in a social media post that the Trump administration is planning to deny legal U.S. residency based on whether it agrees with personal views expressed through free speech.

“Since when did it become ‘anti-American’ to criticize the actions of a foreign government?” Van Hollen wrote, calling the administration’s actions “outrageous.”

The White House has denied allegations that it is targeting free speech as a means of denying citizenship to migrants. Instead, a spokesperson told the New York Times that the Trump administration’s policies were meant to “protect American institutions, the safety of citizens, national security and the freedoms of the United States.”

A DHS spokesperson did not immediately respond to NewsNation’s request for comment on the new green card guidance.

In March, NewsNation reported that the number of cases opened by the Department of Justice seeking to revoke naturalized citizenship status has increased significantly since President Donald Trump took office in early 2025.

Manta found that 168 cases were filed in federal court during Trump’s first term (42 per year). After President Joe Biden took office in 2021, the DOJ filed 64 cases over the next four years — an average of 16 per year, according to Manta’s data.

A DOJ source told NewsNation Thursday that at least 64 denaturalization cases have already been filed by the DOJ since Trump took office for his second White House term in early 2025.

The Department of Homeland Security has also increased the number of administrative subpoenas it has sent to popular social media companies like Reddit. The subpoenas demand that those companies turn over personal information of social media users who expressed criticism of federal immigration enforcement operations .

Like in the case of green card applicants, First Amendment rights attorneys argue that the Trump administration is wrongfully targeting those who speak out against its agenda.

“That just really begs the question that the goal by targeting just kind of normal citizens who are participating in these forums, the idea is to censor and scare everyone into thinking if they criticize the government or immigration enforcement, they, too, may have their privacy invaded and their First Amendment rights threatened,” Lauren Regan, the director of litigation and advocacy at the Civil Liberties Defense Center, told NewsNation.

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