Tipsheet

President Trump Orders Banks to Look at Citizenship Status

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  May 20, 2026 11:15 AM

President Trump has issued a new executive order directing banks to take a closer look at the immigration and citizenship status of clients to whom they extend financial services.

This is the latest move in President Trump's immigration agenda, marking a push to clamp down on those in the country illegally.

Here's more from NBC News:

The order directs bank regulators and government departments to look for signs that people without legal status are opening accounts or obtaining loans or credit cards. However, the order is less aggressive than banks had expected, as earlier reports suggested the White House was drafting an order that would make collecting customers’ citizenship information mandatory.

In the order, the White House framed the decision that banks would face credit risks if one of their customers were deported and any loans could no longer be repaid. The White House said it would not “permit risks to our financial system posed by the extension of credit or financial services to the inadmissible and removable alien population.”

Since banks have never collected any information about their customers’ citizenship or immigration status, there are no reliable public figures on how much risk these customers pose to the financial system.

Proponents of immigration enforcement and reform have long argued that limiting access to employment, financial services, and other economic avenues would discourage illegal immigration and increase self-deportations.

Democrats want to encourage illegal immigration and look the other way.

"America’s financial institutions serve a critical role in safeguarding the American people against financial fraud and abuse. My Administration has taken significant steps to lower the costs of providing financial services for Americans and reduce unnecessary and burdensome Federal regulations that restrain economic growth and hamper the competitiveness of financial service providers nationwide.  However, it has long been the policy of the United States to adopt tailored measures to safeguard our financial system from illicit use and promote safe and sound lending and other practices by financial institutions. My Administration will not tolerate national security and public safety risks caused by illicit cross-border financial activity, nor will it permit risks to our financial system posed by the extension of credit or financial services to the inadmissible and removable alien population," the opening of the order read.

How anyone could be against this is beyond comprehension. No other country does this.