The Trump administration will now require people seeking green cards to leave the United States in the course of the utility course of — a sweeping change that might upend the lives of hundreds of thousands of folks in search of the proper to legally and permanently live and work in the US.
In a brand new rule introduced Friday, US immigration authorities stated green card candidates would have to return to their house international locations to apply for everlasting visas.
The abrupt coverage change stands to have an effect on a big swath of the legal US immigration population, compelling these in search of authorized everlasting residency to leave the nation — separating households, forcing folks to leave their jobs and disrupting communities within the course of. Applying for a green card is a notoriously arduous course of that may take a number of months to years to full.
US Citizenship and Immigration Services stated the rule gives exemptions for “extraordinary circumstances,” Zach Kahler, a spokesperson for the company, stated in an announcement.
“When aliens apply from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who decide to slip into the shadows and remain in the US illegally after being denied residency,” Kahler stated.
About 1.4 million folks obtained lawful everlasting residence in fiscal yr 2024, in accordance to public Department of Homeland Security data.
The new rule is probably going to face authorized challenges. Since being introduced Friday, it has already confronted a torrent of criticism from attorneys, lawmakers and immigration advocates.
Rep. Delia C. Ramirez, an Illinois Democrat, stated on X the coverage is “beyond cruel” and referred to as for the dismantling of DHS “piece by piece.”
“Trump just made legal immigration harder — on purpose,” Rep. Greg Stanton, an Arizona Democrat, stated on X. “America is able to attract the top researchers, doctors, & engineers because of our worker visa programs.”
“Forcing these immigrants to now leave the U.S. before applying for citizenship will deprive us of their innovation, their tax dollars, & their contributions to our economy,” Stanton stated.
David J. Bier, the director of immigration research on the Cato Institute, described the coverage as “illogical” in a blog post laying out potential far-reaching and cascading impacts of the rule.
“It will drive talented people to other countries and make America a less competitive place for business,” Bier wrote.
While cracking down on unlawful immigration has been a high precedence for the Trump administration, the brand new rule represents just the latest example of how the administration can be making an attempt to curb legal forms of immigration.
The administration has made efforts to considerably scale back asylum claims; ended the momentary protected standing for a number of international locations, which allowed these fleeing pure disasters, wars or different harmful circumstances to reside within the US with out concern of being deported; halted refugee admissions apart from White South Africans; and restricted work and pupil visas.
Following final yr’s capturing of two National Guard troopers in Washington, DC, the administration announced it was reexamining all green cards issued to folks from 19 international locations “of concern.”
However, the alleged perpetrator of that capturing, an Afghan nationwide, utilized for asylum — a distinct course of than the green card purposes course of — in 2021, and it was granted in 2025.
This story has been up to date with further particulars.