SILVER SPRING, Maryland — CLINIC celebrates the rollout of an updated mission statement and core values for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. The new mission statement makes a clear announcement that the agency is returning to its congressionally mandated purpose. The new mission statement delivers a vision of inclusion and reminds us that our nation’s strength comes from our diversity.

Anna Gallagher, CLINIC’s Executive Director, issued the following statement:

“USCIS is more than a bureaucracy, it is the gateway for people to seek humanitarian protection, to contribute to our economy, to serve our communities, to unite with their families, to seek education at colleges and universities across our country, and a lasting way to call the United States ‘home.’ This new mission statement reflects the dignity and humanity of those seeking to pass through those gates. Consistent with the core tenets of our faith tradition, it calls us to welcome.

As USCIS enters this new chapter, CLINIC applauds the leadership and vision of Director Jaddou, the first woman and daughter of immigrants to lead the agency. Under difficult circumstances, Director Jaddou is working to correct the agency’s course, with a focus on accessibility and human dignity. For USCIS’ leadership and all the agency’s employees to continue in this vital work, CLINIC calls on the administration and Congress to ensure that USCIS has the funding and resources needed to efficiently process applications and fulfill this new, dignifying mission.”