Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Wednesday released a bill that would "put American citizens first" and "ensure that migrants are not benefiting at the expense of American citizens."
The American Citizens First Act would end federal benefits, allow the Department of Homeland Security to denaturalize naturalized citizens who "undermine domestic tranquility" by participating in unlawful protests involving violence or property destruction, and expand expedited removal authority.
It would also require a full review of every Afghan admitted as a refugee, parolee, or special immigrant visa holder from Jan. 20, 2021, to the present.
The bill would automatically end temporary protected status for any nationality if DHS determines the home country is safe enough for return, or if the group receiving TPS exceeds a specified crime-rate threshold.
"Hardworking Arkansans should not be forced to support non-U.S. citizens on federal programs. My bill will put American citizens first," Cotton said in a press release.
The move comes a day after U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said in a memo that it would pause reviews of all pending green card, citizenship, or asylum applications from immigrants from 19 countries listed in a previous travel ban.
"The Trump Administration is making every effort to ensure individuals becoming citizens are the best of the best. Citizenship is a privilege, not a right," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
"We will take no chances when the future of our nation is at stake. The Trump Administration is reviewing all immigration benefits granted by the Biden administration to aliens from countries of concern."
The agency cited the shooting of two National Guard troops by a suspect who is an Afghan national as a reason for the pause and heightened scrutiny of people from those countries.
One soldier was killed and another wounded in the Thanksgiving-week shooting near the White House.
Since the shooting, the administration has announced a flurry of decisions to scrutinize immigrants already in the country and those seeking to enter the U.S.
Last week, the director of USCIS said in a social media post that the agency would reexamine green card applications for people from countries "of concern." But Tuesday’s policy directive went further, laying out in more detail who would be affected.
USCIS also said last week that it was pausing all asylum decisions, and the State Department said it was halting visas for Afghans who assisted the U.S. war effort.
Days before the shooting, USCIS said in a separate memo that the administration would review the cases of all refugees who entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.
Newsmax wires contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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