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Aliens in US must carry proof of legal status ‘at all times’ under new regulations

Aliens in US must carry proof of legal status ‘at all times’ under new regulations

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WASHINGTON: United States president Donald Trump’s hard-line stance on immigration reached new heights on Friday, as regulations regarding registration for foreign nationals came into place in accordance with Executive Order 14159.

In January, Trump signed an executive order titled “protecting the American people against invasion”, directing the Department of Homeland Security to enforce section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

“The Trump administration will enforce all our immigration laws—we will not pick and choose which laws we will enforce. We must know who is in our country for the safety and security of our homeland and all Americans,” said DHS Secretary Kristi Noem in a press release reminding foreign nationals to register under the new regulations on Friday.

The order calls for the enforcement of the “long-ignored” Alien Registration Act, which required non-citizens to register and submit fingerprints. Foreign nationals aged 14 or older who are in the US for 30 days or longer, must register for fingerprinting, while the relevant guardians are responsible for registering those under 14.

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Those aged 18 or older must carry evidence of registration, which will be issued by the DHS, at all times. Law enforcement officials are now legally allowed to demand proof of immigration registration status. Failure to follow this requirement will be considered a misdemeanour, which can result in a fine of at most $5000 USD, and/or imprisonment for 30 days.

In order to register, foreign nationals must create a US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) account and fill out the Form G-325R, Biographic Information. After review, USCIS will make proof of registration available for download.

Lawful permanent residents or green card holders are already registered. However, green card holders who turn 14 must register via submitting a Form I-90, within 30 days of their birthday. This was already a requirement for green card holders turning 14.