Registration: What Noncitizens Need To Know

On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed the Protecting the American People Against Invasion executive order. This order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to ensure non-citizens comply with the registration requirements under Section 262 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). DHS has since published an "interim final rule" to implement the executive order, set to take effect on April 11, 2025. The rule proposes a new forms-based system for non-citizens to register with the U.S. government.

The United States's noncitizen registration statute has long been on the books, but it has been dormant for years. In the early 2000s, a similar system to what is now being proposed was implemented, known as the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System (NSEERS). NSEERS was harshly criticized by immigration advocates and the legal community for being discriminatory, resulting in its abandonment in 2011. The executive order and the corresponding