Fresno advocates alarmed as green card office expands enforcement role
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- USCIS will gain new enforcement powers, including arrests and investigations.
- Fresno advocates warn the shift could increase fear and disrupt communities.
- Critics argue the move may violate the Homeland Security Act’s enforcement limits.
Fresno immigration lawyers and advocates are concerned that the federal agency responsible for administering green cards and other immigration benefits is increasingly taking on an enforcement role similar to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced earlier this month that it will assign special agents to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to investigate, arrest and prosecute individuals suspected of violating U.S. immigration laws.
“It’s yet another intimidation factor,” said Jesus Ibanez, an immigration attorney with the Community Agency for Resources, Advocacy, and Services (CARAS). “They’re now hiring individuals to be enforcement officers at USCIS offices.”
With this expansion of law enforcement authority, USCIS agents will have the capacity to carry firearms, execute search and arrest warrants and other powers standard for federal law enforcement, according to DHS.
“USCIS has always played a vital role in defending the homeland,” said a DHS Spokesperson. “When USCIS agents and officers are empowered to enforce the law, and keep our country safe, this results in increased accountability, collaboration, and stronger protection for our nation.”
Alex Mensing, communications manager at the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, said the move will likely lead to more violent arrests and further separation of individuals from their families and communities.
“It is further proof that the federal government’s goal is to divert as many resources as possible from services to state violence,” he said. “The Trump administration will direct that violence at whoever it wants to blame for the challenges that working people face today.”
This new rule is another step in President Donald Trump’s promises to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in U.S. history. It is expected to take effect Oct. 6.
USCIS Director Joe Edlow will have the authority to order expedited removal and investigate civil and criminal violations of immigration laws within the jurisdiction of USCIS, instead of referring certain cases to ICE.
George Rios, a Fresno immigration attorney, said USCIS was never intended to function as an enforcement agency in the manner the Trump administration is now pursuing.
“In my opinion, this action clearly infringes upon and likely violates the Homeland Security Act, which explicitly states that the Secretary of Homeland Security cannot authorize USCIS to engage in enforcement. I strongly believe and really hope that this will be challenged legally,” he said.
USCIS plans to recruit and train special agents to exercise these additional law enforcement authorities. It is unclear if the special agents will be at the USCIS field offices, including the one in Fresno, or at any other USCIS offices.
“We’re at a point where there’s so much uncertainty surrounding every aspect of foreign policy, and instead of ensuring that the resources needed to genuinely protect the homeland are used for that purpose, they’re being diverted to militarize and intimidate people who are eligible to seek immigration benefits,” Rios said.
Local USCIS field offices handle a variety of immigration-related services, including conducting interviews for green card, naturalization, and other applications. In 2023, USCIS naturalized more than 878,500 new U.S. citizens.
USCIS also assists with biometrics appointments, provides updates on case statuses, and offers support for applicants navigating the immigration process.
Previously, in February, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem deputized special agents within the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and the IRS to aid in arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants.
This story was originally published September 14, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Fresno advocates alarmed as green card office expands enforcement role."
