US' green card issuer, USCIS, hiring armed officers unit to crack down on immigration fraud

US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is creating a new law-enforcement unit with the authority to carry weapons and make arrests, expanding President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown beyond traditional agencies, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

The agency plans to train several hundred federal officers to investigate fraud in immigration applications. These officers will be empowered to arrest immigrants accused of violations, as well as the lawyers who may have assisted in preparing petitions.

Historically, USCIS has remained separate from enforcement bodies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing applicants to submit personal information and attend interviews without fear of detention. Critics warn that the change could discourage eligible immigrants from applying for visas, green cards, or citizenship.

Joe Edlow, the newly appointed director of USCIS, told the Journal the force will focus on cases of fraud, including near-identical applications from the same country or applicants faking disabilities to bypass English proficiency exams. Denaturalisation cases against new citizens who misrepresented information will also be a priority.

“I’m not expecting this to have a chilling effect on applications,” Edlow said. “I’m expecting this to have a chilling effect on fraudulent applications, and that’s what I want.”

Currently, USCIS has a Fraud Detection and National Security unit, created during the Obama administration, which refers suspected cases to ICE but cannot carry weapons or make arrests. Edlow argued the new force is necessary as ICE lacks the capacity to investigate every lead.

The initiative will start with approximately 200 agents stationed at immigration offices nationwide. It forms part of broader Trump administration measures to intensify scrutiny of immigrants, including neighbourhood checks and evaluations of applicants’ alleged “anti-American” views.

Doug Rand, a former USCIS official in the Biden administration, criticised the move: “It’s totally unnecessary. It’s a solution in search of a problem.”

Even before this development, ICE had conducted arrests at immigration interviews for citizenship, green cards, and asylum cases. The new unit adds a fresh layer to enforcement powers under Trump’s immigration policies.