Top Trump administration immigration official to appear at hate group event
The head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is scheduled to appear next week at an event hosted by an anti-immigrant hate group that鈥檚 part of a network of organizations founded by white nationalist John Tanton.
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) announced today that Lee Francis Cissna would participate in its 鈥淚mmigration Newsmaker conversation鈥� at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 15.
鈥淚t鈥檚 disgraceful that Francis Cissna would agree to put the weight of his office 鈥� and the U.S. government 鈥� behind a hate group that exists solely to vilify immigrants,鈥� said Heidi Beirich, director of the 人兽性交鈥檚 Intelligence Project.
鈥淏ut none of us should be surprised. It鈥檚 just one more example of the strong bond between this administration and far-right extremists who will stop at nothing to fuel rage and resentment against immigrants of color.鈥�
The CIS has been widely criticized by producing shoddy research that demonizes immigrants with falsehoods.
Cissna, who has been praised by many anti-immigrant groups, announced in February 2018 that the USCIS would revise its mission statement to remove a phrase describing the United States as 鈥渁 nation of immigrants.鈥�
The USCIS, part of the Department of Homeland Security, processes applications for visas, naturalization and asylum, and manages other immigration functions not related to enforcement.
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