Any immigrant to the United States, including those who are legally allowed to study or work there, may be asked to furnish papers when asked.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said,”All noncitizens 18 and older must carry this documentation at all times. This administration has directed DHS to prioritize enforcement, there will be no sanctuary for noncompliance.”
US judge approves Trump move asking immigrants to register with govt
The DHS notification comes amid a US district judge order approving the Donald Trump administration to move forward with a requirement that everyone in the U.S. illegally must register with the federal government and carry documentation.
According to a report by The Times of India, those who entered the United States on a valid visa, hold green cards, employment authorisation document, border crossing card or an I-94 admission record are already registered and will not be affected by the process.
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But, even the “already registered” foreign nationals such as Indian workers with H1-B visas or international students, a majority of whom are Indians, will need to carry documents with them round the clock, the report added.
Their children would need to re-register and submit their fingerprints within 30 days of their 14th birthday.
According to a Reuters report, US district judge Trevor McFadden in Washington, appointed by President Donald Trump during his first term in office, found that groups challenging the Department of Homeland Security rule implementing the policy – including the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights and United Farm Workers of America – had not shown they had standing to bring the lawsuit.
“As organizations, many of their harms are too speculative, and they have failed to show that the Rule will erode their core missions,” he wrote, according to Reuters.
Nicholas Espiritu, deputy legal director at the National Immigration Law Center, which represents the plaintiffs, called the ruling “disappointing,” and said it would “force people into an impossible choice between registering and risking immediate deportation, or refusing and facing penalties.”
(With AP inputs)
