DHS Narrows USCIS Memo On Green Card Process After Backlash
On the weekend of May 30, 2026, DHS said it narrowed a controversial U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memo on green-card processing and called the guidance a restatement of longstanding law.[1]
DHS told CBS the memo "will not prevent any alien from obtaining a green card who legitimately and properly qualify." CBS News DHS said the change would mainly shift some discretionary applicants to apply overseas, while a former USCIS chief counsel warned it will still slow legal immigration and increase evidentiary burdens.[1]
In the week before May 30, 2026, USCIS issued guidance that appeared to largely eliminate in-country adjustment of status for many temporary immigrants seeking green cards, a move that sparked sharp criticism from immigration advocates and some legal experts.[1]
After the backlash, the department framed its response as damage control rather than a policy reversal and emphasized the memo was intended to clarify existing rules, not to block qualified applicants.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- In the week before May 30, 2026, USCIS issued guidance that appeared to largely eliminate in-country adjustment of status for many temporary immigrants seeking green cards.
- On the weekend of May 30, 2026, DHS told CBS the memo restates 'longstanding law and policy' and 'will not prevent any alien from obtaining a green card who legitimately and properly qualify.'
- DHS said the change will mainly shift some discretionary applicants to apply overseas, while an ex-USCIS chief counsel warned it will still slow legal immigration and increase evidentiary burdens.
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