As I was researching a study that interested me was “Immigration Application Denial Rates jump 37% Under Trump”[1]by David Bier because it statistically demonstrates that Immigration Application denial has remarkably incremented under Trump’s administration. This study highlights that the USCIS has legitimately publicly announced that immigration application denial since Trump took office in 2016 have increased. During the 2017 Fiscal Year, when Trump had one year in office, the denial increased by 37% in all types of immigration designation such as resident cards, student, and working permits. The findings in this study emphasize the detrimental shift that the immigration application process had since Trumps administration. For instance, Figure 1 titled “Denial Rate for Immigration Applications”[2]portrays that in the Fiscal Year of 2015 to 2018 the immigration application denial rates increased from 8.3% to 11.3%. The particularity of these statistics is that it does not include Naturalization application and DACA’s because according to Trump these forms grants legality to undocumented immigrants. But, it incorporates ‘legal’ immigration applications. If it were to include the denial rate from undocumented immigrants trying to change their immigration status the statistics would be higher than 11.3% in 2015 because illegal immigrants have the highest denial rate. The fact that Trump classifies illegal immigrants as criminals creates a greater impact in their application rejection, the justification that immigration officials provide is that they do not have a “good moral character.” It saddens me to perceive the trend depicted in the bar graph because it is solely portraying the statistics of people that apply ‘legally’ and not of all immigrants applicants. This graph essentially shows that as the years passes more applications are going to be rejected. If in 2015 that it was during Obama administration the rate was at 11.3% then it explains that by the time we are in elections again the rate of application denial is going to be at its highest. The fact that the study itself has an exclusion of the immigration applications provides false statistics because, in reality, that rate can double itself with the number of immigrant’s applicants that daily are getting rejected.

Figure 2 in the study “Total Denials for Immigration Applications”[3]shows the total number of applications that are denied per year. The year 2016 depicts that there were around 500,000 denied applications and 2018 surpassed that amount with around 170,000 more denied applications. The year of 2018 saw the highest denied applications compared to all statistical research conducted before. Figure 8 relates to my writing project as it depicts resident card rejection that is petitioned by family. It is titled under the category that my aunt was denied “Denial Rate for I-485 Family-Based Adjustments to Permanent Residence”[4]which displays that the denial rate by family petitions from 2016 to 2018 increased from 10.2% to 13%. Generally, these applications are petitioned by parents seeking for a permanent resident card for their family members. This research proceeds to mention executives’ orders signed by Trump such as “Buy American, Hire American”[5]and Extreme Vetting”[6]that served as a restriction and basis for the USCIS to reject more immigrant applicants. Thus, these orders have made it easier for the USCIS to deny applicants without any right justifications, the fact that they are immigrants is a just explanation. These examples of the executive orders are a context of why we are at the highest immigration application denial rate in history. It also emphasizes that as Trump signs more executive orders, he is seeking to terminate the entire immigration process in the U.S not only illegally but legally as well.

This research is significant and relates to my writing project because it statistically explains the number of immigration application denial rates and executive orders that the current administration has signed to revoke the immigration process. The statistics in this study highlights the discriminatory and racist immigration process of the U.S. It reflects that my aunt was solely one of the thousands that are getting denied with discriminatory justification. To prevent admitting people in the U.S the officials make up any justification. Specifically, this study includes statistics based on applicants that are petitioned or apply ‘legally’ which was the case of my aunt. The findings it provides statistically depicts that as year passes U.S immigration is going to decline. This study does not show a context or history of why inherently the immigration application denial rates are discriminatory and racist in the U.S. It solely uses contemporary context which are the executive orders signed by Trump. Also, this study fails to include the entire immigration demographics, the only immigrants included are the one who applies ‘legally.’ Consequently, the statistics in a way are false because if it would provide all immigrants that are getting denied then the numbers would be more accurate.

[1]Bier, David. “Immigration Application Denial Rates Jump 37% Under Trump.” Cato Institute, 15 Nov. 2018, https://www.cato.org/blog/immigration-application-denials-jump-37-percent-under-trump

[2]Ibid.

[3]Ibid.

[4]Ibid.

[5]Ibid.

[6]Ibid.

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