Trump Orders Creation of National Immigration Vetting Center

In a press release issued by the White House Press Security on February 6, 2018, Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum to establish a National Vetting Center (NVC) to better identify individuals seeking to enter the country who may present a threat to national security, border security, homeland security, or public security. The center will not begin operating until Trump approves an implementation plan, which he has given the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies 6 months to create. As such, there is no immediate impact and the final mandate will depend on what has been decided after the NVC (not to be confused with the National Visa Center) has been established.

Reportedly, the center will predominately focus on visa applications from future immigrants but will also vet people already in the country who are subject to deportation proceedings. The center will also improve information sharing between different federal agencies and streamline the immigration vetting process. The practical impact on applicants for visas, permanent residency, and admission is unknown at this time.

This is another step to crack down on immigration after Trump promised “extreme vetting” of immigrants during his presidential campaign after Temporary Protected Status was terminated for El Salvador, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Sudan nationals, a new immigration plan was created to stop family reunification and end the diversity visa, and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival was put up for debate.

The impact of this new “initiative” is not known but the initiative is likely not one that has been undertaken to increase visa approval rates.