U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced it’s received more than 35,000 applications for the position of “Homeland Defender” since it began its hiring campaign in September.
“USCIS is cutting bureaucratic red tape to hire fiercely dedicated, America-first patriots to serve on the front lines and hold the line against terrorists, criminal aliens, and bad actors intent on infiltrating our nation,” a USCIS press release sent out on Thursday, November 6, says. “This includes interviewing aliens, reviewing applications, and identifying criminal or ineligible aliens.”
USCIS, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), screens and processes green card, asylum, and citizenship applications, and administers humanitarian programs for “individuals unable to reside in their home countries; to individuals who must enter the U.S. under urgent circumstances; and to victims of certain crimes, including but not limited to human trafficking, domestic violence, abandonment, neglect, or abuse,” according to the USCIS website.
The agency is enticing applicants with the possibility of signing bonuses up to $50,000, student loan repayment, “flexible duty locations,” remote work options, and expedited hiring for entry-level positions that do not require a college degree, according to the press release.
“This entry-level role requires no college degree and offers up to $50,000 in signing and retention bonuses,” the job posting says. “If you’re driven and ready to serve with pride, join USCIS and become a vital part of homeland security!”
USCIS’s hiring campaign and job application appear designed to attract people with little (if any) relevant experience who support the Trump administration’s white supremacist, mass deportation agenda.
Applicants are asked, “How would you help advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.”
In October, DHS posted an appeal for applicants clearly targeted to President Trump’s base:
STAND FOR LIBERTY.
Become a Homeland Defender and decide who will enter our country.
USCIS says it has made “hundreds of job offers,” including to “former law enforcement personnel and veterans who have experience serving and protecting their communities and our homeland.”
It’s unlikely that a cop or veteran would have experience relevant to the duties of a Homeland Defender — if the purpose of the position was to evaluate applications fairly.
In fact, the requirements for applicants (or lack thereof) are incongruous with the job’s responsibilities, which include:
- Conducting thorough and meticulous reviews of applications for immigration benefits to ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies. [The USCIS defines benefits as those seeking immigrant status, non-immigrant status, refugee status, temporary protected status, employment authorization, and citizenship.]
- Conducting in-person interviews to elicit information or statements to assess credibility and identify inconsistencies. Prioritize national security, public safety, and the integrity of the immigration system by adhering to rigorous vetting standards.
- Exercising judgment and discretion in evaluating eligibility criteria, verifying documentation, and identifying potential fraud or misuse of immigration programs.
- Upholding the administration’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws, promoting lawful pathways, and ensuring that benefits are granted only to individuals who meet the established requirements and contribute to the nation’s security and prosperity.
- Writing well-organized, logical, often complex legal decisions and opinions that are clear, consistent with adjudicative standards and legislation, and are applicable to the facts of the case or which communicate USCIS policies and procedures.
- Completing and updating administrative reports, systems, and security reporting requirements in accordance with applicable regulations and procedures.
- Researching and interpreting sources including immigration laws and regulations, operating instructions, legislative history, precedent decisions, state and local laws, and international treaties to determine adjudicative decision.
- Planning and conducting independent research concerning the eligibility and entitlement of persons seeking benefits, employment, and/or legal status under the Immigration and Nationality Act as amended.
- Providing direct support and assistance to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel and officials of other federal agencies.
The posting states that the “responsibilities described are for the full performance level,” and those at “developmental grade levels” will have assignments “of more limited scope performed with less independence, and limited complexity.” For those at the GS [General Schedule pay scale]-07 level, a bachelor’s degree is required, for the GS-05 level it is not.
“USCIS is not wasting time; we are committed to implementing President Trump’s priorities,” said Director and former Heritage Foundation visiting fellow Joseph Edlow in a statement. “These candidates are not just applying for a job — they are applying to guard our values and defend our homeland.”
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Edlow said, “USCIS must be an immigration enforcement agency.”
A terrifying moment. We appeal for your support.
In the last weeks, we have witnessed an authoritarian assault on communities in Minnesota and across the nation.
The need for truthful, grassroots reporting is urgent at this cataclysmic historical moment. Yet, Trump-aligned billionaires and other allies have taken over many legacy media outlets — the culmination of a decades-long campaign to place control of the narrative into the hands of the political right.
We refuse to let Trump’s blatant propaganda machine go unchecked. Untethered to corporate ownership or advertisers, Truthout remains fearless in our reporting and our determination to use journalism as a tool for justice.
But we need your help just to fund our basic expenses. Over 80 percent of Truthout’s funding comes from small individual donations from our community of readers, and over a third of our total budget is supported by recurring monthly donors.
Truthout has launched a fundraiser to add 500 new monthly donors in the next 10 days. Whether you can make a small monthly donation or a larger one-time gift, Truthout only works with your support.