The Trump administration has updated the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) policy manual to require immigration officers to scrutinize applicants for signs of “anti-American” or antisemitic activity when deciding on discretionary benefits such as green cards, work permits and naturalization. The directive, issued on 19 August and effective immediately, instructs officers to treat any endorsement, promotion or support of such views—including on social media—as an “overwhelmingly negative factor” that can justify denial. USCIS spokesman Matthew Tragesser said the change ensures America’s immigration benefits are not extended to those who “despise the country and promote anti-American ideologies.” The agency will use provisions of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act that bar advocates of world communism or violent overthrow of the U.S. government as reference points, but the memo offers no precise definition of anti-Americanism. The policy also folds the new checks into the social-media vetting regime that the administration broadened in June. Immigration advocates and legal scholars warned that the undefined term could give adjudicators broad discretion and invite bias, drawing comparisons to McCarthy-era loyalty tests. Some anticipate court challenges on First Amendment and due-process grounds. The move follows a series of tighter eligibility standards, including an expanded ‘good moral character’ test and a State Department decision to revoke more than 6,000 student visas so far this year.