During the night of last Friday, May 22, the administration of the president donald trump surprised by announcing a radical change in the process to request the Green Card in the United States, thereby modifying a policy in force for years and generating uncertainty among immigrants, lawyers and aid organizations.
This is because the Department of Homeland Security will review the background of migrants with permanent residence, and the Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) announced that those who wish to obtain the Green Card must leave the United States and submit their application at the american embassy of their nation of origin.
Faced with this scenario, according to the memorandum published by the USCIS, the adjustment of status within the United States will be restricted to circumstances extraordinarywhich will limit a path used until now by different sectors linked to issues migratorywhose members are now confused and worried.
Furthermore, according to internal data obtained by the American newspaper The New York Timesthe Department of Homeland Security will try deport every month at least 50 starters of the green card, through a new unit dedicated to reevaluating thousands of immigrants with permanent residence throughout the country.
Confusion and worry
Faced with this situation, various organizations defending immigrants and legal experts warned about the scope potentially massive of this measure, which affects both to those who have already started their process of status adjustment within the territory of the United States as well as those who planned to begin it in the coming months.
Given the circumstances, the change impacts people who entered the United States under different categories, including those who did so with visas temporary, as those for tourism, study or work, or with humanitarian parole, a temporary entry and stay permit for citizens with a financial sponsor in the US.
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However, according to what was stated by the news agency EFEthese cases represent a small fraction of the total number of permanent residence card holders reviewed so far, because some 3 thousand 500 cases They had been evaluated or were in the process of evaluation until last Sunday 17 of May.
Likewise, while more than 500 green card holders were still in the review process, US authorities considered that the 80% of those cases did not require “any additional action.” Despite this, the figures reveal the first results of the efforts of Trump for examining suspects to commit fraud.
Aggressiveness to eradicate migrants
According to the American television network Telemundothe recent creation of this unit in the Department of Homeland Security also demonstrates the aggressiveness with which government officials attempt to expel immigrants who, in their opinion, should be stripped of their legal status and expelled from USA
At the same time, the measures demonstrate that Donald Trump’s government is expanding its repression immigration beyond those living illegally in the country, to include those who have obtained a legal statussuch as the permanent residence card, popularly known as green cardidentity document for residents of the country.