The US is heading toward an immigration system that is more focused and based on merit, putting the needs of employers and the economy at the forefront, according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services director on Tuesday.
Lee Cissna made the comments while visiting Lincoln during an interview with Journal Star. Cissna said that the policy will continue to find room for asylum seekers and refugees but that the priority must welcome to the US individuals who can help the country’s national or economic interests or needs, with those who have highly-sought skills being particularly important at a time of great change.
Cissna, whom President Donald Trump appointed to the position of director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in 2018, was visiting employees at the Haymarket immigration service center before the interview. There are five regional centers in the US, including the one in Lincoln, which has as many as 1,100 employees. The facility is a high-security center, storing both electronic and paper files.
USCIS is part of the Department of Homeland Security, while remaining separate from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and is responsible for the administration of the immigration and naturalization systems in the US. Cissna said that although the immigration system is undergoing changes under the Trump administration, immigration is still a part of the country and the national character.