- Press Release
Trump’s Registration Requirement Means Fear, Uncertainty for Millions of Americans
Washington DC, February 26, 2025 — A new registration requirement announced by the Trump administration, targeting certain categories of immigrants, jeopardizes the freedom and rights of millions of Americans, as it may require many to always carry identification documents with them to prove they are not deportable.
A new analysis by the American Immigration Council breaks down who the registration process will affect, and how it creates a “show me your papers” requirement that could have widespread implications for many U.S. citizens and people here lawfully.
The White House is reanimating a World War II-era provision of immigration law that will require certain categories of noncitizens to register and be fingerprinted by the federal government; those who do not will be subject to criminal prosecution.
As the Council details in its new analysis, many groups of people who are undocumented – including those in removal proceedings, those admitted in the country under parole, and those with work permits, among others – will be considered “registered.” However, many other undocumented people -- including those who entered without inspection and have had no contact with the federal government during their years living in the United States --will be subject to this requirement.
The new policy raises the possibility that even those already “registered” may be arrested and prosecuted for failing to carry the right documents with them at all times or failing to provide it to law enforcement when asked.
The new requirement also leaves “unregistered” immigrants between a rock and a hard place: registering with the federal government (once the official form becomes available) puts them at risk of being deported. Not registering may put them at risk of criminal prosecution, if they are stopped by law enforcement at a later point.
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The American Immigration Council works to strengthen America by shaping how America thinks about and acts towards immigrants and immigration and by working toward a more fair and just immigration system that opens its doors to those in need of protection and unleashes the energy and skills that immigrants bring. The Council brings together problem solvers and employs four coordinated approaches to advance change—litigation, research, legislative and administrative advocacy, and communications. In January 2022, the Council and New American Economy merged to combine a broad suite of advocacy tools to better expand and protect immigrants' rights, more fully ensure their ability to succeed economically, and help make the communities they settle in more welcoming. Follow the latest Council news and information on ImmigrationImpact.com and X @immcouncil.