In a stunning escalation of immigration enforcement, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has revealed that it has initiated removal proceedings against more than 26,700 foreign nationals since February 28, 2025, as part of its aggressive return to issuing Notices to Appear (NTAs) for individuals with no legal basis to remain in the United States.
This dramatic shift stems from new USCIS guidance issued under the directive of President Trump’s Executive Order titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.” The order and its subsequent enforcement policies aim to overhaul national security procedures, crackdown on immigration fraud, and restore what officials call “the integrity of the immigration system.”
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, we have returned to commonsense NTA policies,” said USCIS Spokesman Matthew Tragesser, highlighting a 2,811% increase in fraud-related NTAs per month compared to the previous administration. “We’ve issued tens of thousands of NTAs to restore security to our nation’s borders.”
What’s Changing?
The latest USCIS policy now defaults to issuing an NTA immediately after a denial of any immigration benefit if the individual is removable. This includes those whose asylum claims are denied, those with expired Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and applicants found to have committed immigration fraud.
Key enforcement statistics since February 28:
- Approx. 1,840 NTAs per week
- 500 asylum-related NTAs weekly
- 100 TPS-related NTAs weekly
- 2,811% monthly increase in fraud-related NTAs
In contrast to previous policies under the Biden-Harris administration, where NTA issuance was more selective, the new directive sees USCIS collaborating more directly with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), including deploying volunteers to aid in field operations.
What Does This Mean?
Foreign nationals present in the U.S. without valid legal status—or those whose immigration benefits have been denied—are now at significantly increased risk of deportation. USCIS has explicitly signaled that prosecutorial discretion will be limited, and NTAs are the default outcome unless otherwise dictated by law.
Those impacted are being urged to voluntarily depart the U.S. and use the CBP One mobile app to report their exit. Notably, if a country’s TPS designation is removed, all former beneficiaries without other legal status could now face removal proceedings.
Policy Impact & National Context
This update is part of the Trump administration’s nationwide enforcement reboot, a strategic pivot away from the leniency policies of the past. It follows other controversial moves including stricter asylum screening and rollback of DACA expansion.
Immigration analysts are calling this the largest surge in USCIS-issued NTAs in modern history, and legal aid organizations are bracing for an avalanche of hearings in immigration courts already under strain.