Source: Fortune.com
Summary
The Trump administration has announced a change in policy that requires foreigners who are in the US temporarily and want to apply for a green card to return to their home country to apply, except in “extraordinary circumstances.” This change affects hundreds of thousands of people who apply for green cards from within the US each year, including those married to US citizens, holders of work and student visas, and refugees. The policy change is seen as a way to restrict and limit entry for people from certain countries, and has raised concerns among aid groups, immigration lawyers, and immigrants.
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The Trump administration’s policy change is the latest step in making legal immigration more difficult for foreigners already in the US and for those hoping to come here. The change affects a broad range of individuals, including those with humanitarian protection, work visas, and student visas. The policy’s impact is uncertain, with some predicting it could lead to indefinite separation of families and others noting that it could have a chilling effect on people applying for green cards.
The administration’s goal is to block the path to citizenship for as many people as possible, according to a former senior advisor at USCIS.
The policy change is a return to the “original intent of the law,” according to USCIS, but immigration lawyers and aid groups argue it upends decades of processing of adjustment of status.
One thing is clear: the policy change will have far-reaching consequences for those affected.
Author: Evan Null
