Trump Administration Retracts Green Card Rule, Will Handle Cases Individually

According to a report by The New York Times, the U.S. Trump administration has retracted a previously announced measure. The measure originally stipulated that non-U.S. citizens seeking permanent residency (commonly known as a green card) must return to their country of origin to file an application. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told The New York Times on the 29th that the policy announced last week does not apply to all applicants but will be evaluated and executed 'on a case-by-case basis.' Trump administration spokesperson Zach Kahler had stated on the 22nd: 'From now on, foreigners temporarily in the United States who wish to obtain a green card must return to their country of origin to apply, except in special circumstances.' This announcement was seen as a major shift in U.S. immigration policy and sparked strong anxiety among millions of immigrants seeking permanent residency. During his presidential campaign, Trump promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants, but since taking office, his administration has also closed several legal paths to residency. According to the American Immigration Council, the U.S. issues more than 1 million green cards annually, and to date, more than half of the applicants are already in the U.S. when they apply. A U.S. official told AFP today that this policy 'reaffirms long-standing laws and policies, but these regulations were ignored during the Biden administration.' The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'This policy will not prevent any legal and qualified foreign national from obtaining a green card. It will result in some foreign nationals who do not meet the criteria for discretionary issuance eventually having to apply to the State Department overseas.' The official added: 'For law-abiding, highly qualified applicants and professional technical talent, this policy will not have any significant impact.'