US Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”) is changing its Mission Statement, among other things eliminating the phrase “nation of immigrants.”
The Mission Statement had 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 strikes a far more defensive note, focusing less on the mission of granting benefits and providing education than on security and efficiency:
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 decision was apparently made by USCIS Director Lee Francis Cissna, who many articles covering the change pointed out is himself a child of immigrant parents.