Trump administration pauses controversial green card rule

Just before Memorial Day, the Trump administration issued a directive that would have required most temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees living in the United States to return to their home countries while waiting for green cards, overturning a long‑standing practice of allowing adjustment of status within the U.S.

After panic and confusion among immigrant families and attorneys, the Department of Homeland Security told the New York Times the memo was not a blanket policy and that individual USCIS officers retain discretion. The rule would have affected relatives of U.S. citizens, laid‑off tech workers, mixed‑status families and international students—roughly half of all green cards are issued to people already in the country. Employers in the tech sector warned of talent loss, and legal experts say the policy is likely illegal and will be challenged in court.