U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services warned visa and green card holders that permanent residence depends on supporting unspecified American “values” in a social media post that critics say lacks legal foundation.
Coming to America and receiving a visa or green card is a privilege. Our laws and values must be respected. If you advocate for violence, endorse or support terrorist activity, or encourage others to do so, you are no longer eligible to stay in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/hJ0qQOCFXP
— USCIS (@USCIS) June 25, 2025
The Trump administration has sparked controversy after threatening visa and green card holders with deportation if they fail to support unspecified American “values.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services posted on social media Wednesday that permanent residence is a privilege dependent on political alignment. “Coming to America and receiving a visa or green card is a privilege. Our laws and values must be respected,” the agency wrote. “If you advocate for violence, endorse or support terrorist activity, or encourage others to do so, you are no longer eligible to stay in the U.S.”
It was not clear from the statement if that meant every possible legal infraction—from parking tickets to loitering or seatbelt violations—could lead to deportation. Further still, it was even less clear what “values” the agency was referring to, or how an immigrant might be able to work within those in order to stay in the country.
Politico’s Josh Gerstein noted the directive lacks legal requirement. “For one thing, we’d have to define them, which I don’t think we’ve done,” Gerstein wrote on X. “Australia does require it and they’ve laid them out.”
Critics argue the administration has targeted non-citizens for constitutionally protected political dissent. In April, a federal judge said Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act treated asylum-seekers worse than German Nazis during World War II.