The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a significant policy change on Friday, requiring foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status to obtain green cards from outside the United States, through the state department. This move, which alters a green card process unchanged for over 60 years, has drawn sharp criticism from aid groups, policy analysts, and immigration attorneys. USCIS detailed this new directive in a policy memo, instructing officers to evaluate individual cases and relevant factors when considering whether "extraordinary relief" might be warranted.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees USCIS, stated that this policy ensures the immigration system operates "as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes," by mandating that "An alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply." This decision marks the latest in a series of substantial immigration policy shifts under the Trump administration.

Traditionally, individuals could apply for green cards in two distinct ways: either through a U.S. consulate abroad or by applying for an "adjustment of status" while already present in the U.S. With this new USCIS policy, a large number of green card applicants currently residing in the United States will likely be compelled to depart the country while their applications undergo processing. This requirement is expected to disproportionately affect mixed-status families across the nation, forcing applicants to abandon jobs, homes, and relationships for an indeterminate period.

The implementation of this policy comes at a time when the agency is already contending with a considerable backlog of visa and green card cases, and the specific implications for green card cases that are already pending remain unclear. Aid organizations, such as HIAS, which provides services to refugees and other immigrant groups, have vociferously condemned the policy. HIAS argues that USCIS is effectively compelling vulnerable individuals, including survivors of trafficking and abused or neglected children, to return to the perilous countries they initially fled, simply to process their applications for permanent residency in the U.S.

This policy adjustment on Friday is the most recent in a series of measures enacted by the Trump administration over the past year, aimed at tightening immigration regulations for entry into the United States. Previously, the administration moved to shorten the validity periods of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors, and members of the media. In January, the state department disclosed the revocation of more than 100,000 visas during the second Trump administration. Furthermore, the administration has extended its focus to other immigrants holding legal status within the U.S., including refugees and other protected groups.