Trump Ends In-Country Green Card Application, Forcing Applicants to Leave US

The Trump administration has formally ended a 60-year-old immigration policy, now requiring most green card applicants living in the United States to return to their home countries to complete the permanent residency process.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new memo declaring that the adjustment of status will only be granted inside the country under “extraordinary circumstances,” shifting the majority of cases to consular processing abroad.

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler defended the drastic measure, stating that the change allows the immigration system “to function as the law intended instead of incentivising loopholes.” He added that requiring applicants to leave would deter those who might otherwise “slip into the shadows” after a denial.

The policy specifically targets holders of nonimmigrant visas, including students on F-1 visas, tech workers on H-1B visas, tourists, and even spouses of U.S. citizens. USCIS argued that “their visit should not function as the first step in the Green Card process.”

Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups reacted with immediate shock. Shev Dalal-Dheini from the American Immigration Lawyers Association said, “USCIS is trying to upend decades of processing of adjustment of status,” warning that the rule applies “very broadly to anyone seeking a green card.”

Democrats in Congress have vowed to fight the measure. Congresswoman Grace Meng called the rule “reckless,” stating it displays a “stunning disregard for the human cost it will impose on hundreds of thousands of people each year.” Congressman Dan Goldman added that the move is “as stupid as it is cruel.”

Legal experts predict immediate court challenges. Attorney Stephen Brown noted that the government’s attempt to completely block the process is “unprecedented,” adding, “I’m sure a lot of people are thinking about suing.”

The policy also creates a potential “Catch-22” for applicants from countries like Afghanistan or Iran, where the U.S. has no diplomatic presence or functioning embassy, effectively trapping them abroad if they leave the U.S. to apply. USCIS has yet to clarify if the rule applies retroactively to the over one million applications currently pending.