Saeed Moshfegh has been living in the United States legally for seven years pursuing his PhD in physics. But that didn’t stop Bank of America from freezing his account—all because bank officials demanded he produce an immigration form he didn’t have. 

“This bank doesn’t know how the immigration system works, so they didn’t accept my document,” said Moshfegh, who struggled to make ends meet while his account was frozen and his credit cards declined. 

Unfortunately, Moshfegh is far from alone. Over the past few months, numerous customers have faced questions about their immigration status from Bank of America officials who threaten to freeze their accounts if they do not respond. 

The law is very clear: social security numbers and proof of citizenship are not required to open a bank account in the U.S. So Bank of America has a choice: respect immigrant rights or further marginalize immigrants trying to survive under the Trump Administration. 

While Bank of America officials say the company has not changed any policies impacting immigrant customers, numerous accounts say otherwise. Take Josh Collins and Jessica Salazar Collins, who were cut off from their funds when they ignored a Bank of America asking whether the couple had dual citizenship, which they mistook for a scam. 

It is not an industry standard to interrogate customers about their immigration status. A senior counsel for the American Bankers Association said after Donald Trump’s election that “banks don’t track whether or not someone is legally in the U.S.” So why is Bank of America? 

One thing is for sure: Bank of America’s policy is contributing to a climate of fear for immigrants living in Trump’s America. “Fear is gripping these communities,” said Paulina Gonzalez, the executive director of the California Reinvestment Coalition. “It’s like walking into a grocery store to buy milk and being asked for your citizenship at checkout.” 

Amidst the threats of deportation, denaturalization, and hate crimes, Bank of America is choosing to make life harder for immigrants. We know we have the power to push companies away from anti-immigrant agendas—like when we came together to get thousands of brands to stop advertising with Breitbart. Now, we need to channel that same energy towards ensuring Bank of America treats its customers with dignity and respect—regardless of immigration status.