The entire issue of Immigration and mass deportations in America is as unpredictable as the toxic ex in your life! Yup, we said what we said because of the new changes that come into effect from July 2025. Beginning July 1, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is implementing a significant change affecting visa applicants.
USCIS has announced it will no longer send case updates via text from the number 468-311 (also known as GOV-311). Instead, applicants will now receive messages from a new number: 872466, which corresponds to USA-IMM (short for “USA Immigration”).
Authorities urge citizens to save this number for the latest updates on immigration rules and discard the old one. USCIS says the change is designed to improve public recognition and trust in its communications.
View this post on Instagram
As per The Mirror, the department has also updated its immigration vetting policies. As of April 2025, the officials announced that they will take into account any antisemitic activity, which includes the nature of an individual’s social media posts where harassment of Jewish people is involved.
Foreign nationals who wish to get their visas to come to the United States to seek permanent residency, study, or work-related purposes will have to abide by this rule. This policy also applies to green card applicants.
According to an official statement from USCIS, immigration benefits may now be denied if an applicant is found to have shared or supported antisemitic views, including posts that endorse or promote antisemitic terrorist groups or activities. (via Boundless).
View this post on Instagram
“There is no room in the United States for the world’s terrorist sympathizers,” said DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin. “Anyone who thinks they can come here and hide behind the First Amendment to support antisemitic violence or terrorism—think again.”
This new policy comes into effect as the Trump administration steps up its response to pro-Palestinian protests, particularly on college campuses, amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Progressive Jewish groups, like Bend the Arc, slammed the move, saying, “This isn’t about protecting Jews. It’s about using Jewish identity as cover for a harsh anti-immigrant agenda.”
However, authorities from Trump’s team seem to have taken these rules quite seriously, as since January 2025, they have been detaining international students and green card holders over the slightest and most vague accusations of extremism. One such example was that of a man named Mahmoud Khalil, arrested in front of his pregnant wife, and Badar Khan Suri, a Georgetown scholar accused of Hamas ties, claims he denied. (via The Guardian).
Similarly, 21-year-old permanent resident and Columbia University junior, Yunseo Chung, also sued the Trump administration after they allegedly tried to detain her after her involvement in pro-Palestine protests. She was arrested on March 5 during a sit-down protest at the university, receiving a ticket for “obstruction of government administration.” The university placed her on interim suspension, restricting her access to the prestigious campus.
While there are many individuals like Chung, who despite being a permanent resident have faced such ruthless consequences for their actions, Cases like these have raised broader concerns about freedom of speech and rising authoritarianism.
View this post on Instagram
Some experts speculate that America may be heading towards authoritarian rule under the Trump administration, others have pointed towards concerning political rhetoric, including Trump allies quoting Nazi propaganda and cozying up to far-right European figures.
Therefore, the bottom line is that: Applicants should update their contact records and remain aware of how their online behavior might impact immigration status, and be careful of what they share andcivil liberties groups say more scrutiny is needed to ensure that efforts to fight antisemitism post on their social media handles like X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
Meanwhile, as Donald Trump’s immigration scrutiny doesn’t seem to end, the line between what is fair and what is right in this case is blurred. Civil liberties groups say more scrutiny is needed to ensure that efforts to fight antisemitism. As the future remains uncertain, we can hope that justice prevails upon all and no innocent soul is harmed in the process.
