The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently announced a significant policy reversal. They will be rescinding a Biden-era policy that offered leniency to stateless individuals within the United States. This means a return to stricter immigration scrutiny for those lacking a nationality.

The term “stateless” refers to individuals without the citizenship of any country. This can occur due to the loss of citizenship, often through involuntary revocation by a government, frequently for political reasons. Even U.S. citizens who renounce their citizenship can become stateless if they haven’t secured citizenship elsewhere.

Statelessness presents major hurdles for international travel and immigration. Most countries demand a passport or similar travel document issued by a nation-state, a requirement stateless individuals cannot fulfill. This change in policy will likely increase the challenges faced by this vulnerable population.