New Green Card Processing Rules Create Fear and Chaos in Immigrant Communities
New Green Card Processing Rules Create Fear and Chaos in Immigrant Communities
On May 22, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued a policy memo requiring immigrants seeking a green card — known as adjustment of status — to apply from their home countries, rather than within the US. The memo carves out some exceptions for applicants with “extraordinary circumstances,” but leaves such interpretations to the discretion of the consular officer.
The policy has sown fear in the immigrant community, as many thousands contemplate leaving the U.S. to apply abroad. Those who have overstayed visas risk triggering a 10-year bar on reentry.
Speakers this week will discuss who is impacted by the new policy memo, including employment and family-based visa holders, among others. Speakers will also discuss the legality of the memo — which bypassed the normal rulemaking process, including a public comment period and oversight by the Office of Management and Budget — and anticipated legal challenges to the policy.
- Jeff Joseph, President, American Immigration Lawyers Association
- Julia Gelatt, Associate Director of the U.S. Immigration Policy Program, Migration Policy Institute
- Xiao Wang, Co-founder and CEO, Boundless Immigration
- Ashley DeAzevedo, Executive Director, American Families United
