An article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on March 15 focused on a revised mission statement of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, from which the phrase “a nation of immigrants” has been deleted.

The agency now defines its mission as administering “the nation’s lawful immigration system, safeguarding its integrity and promise by efficiently and fairly adjudicating requests for immigration benefits while protecting Americans, securing the homeland, and honoring our values.”

Professor Anil Kalhan, called the new statement offensive.

“The Trump administration is seeking to draw a sharp line between Americans and immigrants,” Kalhan said.

The intense debate surrounding immigrants in the U.S. has increased awareness of the language surrounding immigration, Kalhan said.

He added that the agency’s mission statement does not change the reality that the U.S. remains a nation of immigrants, except for indigenous populations and those forced to come here as slaves.