Trump's Green Card Changes Could Force Hundreds of Thousands to Leave U.S. Here's What To Know

The U.S. Department Of Homeland Security logo is displayed on a sign at a Citizenship and Immigration Services office on January 16, 2026 in San Diego, CA. —Kevin Carter—Getty ImagesMost people applying for green cards from within the United States will be required to leave the country and apply through consulates abroad under sweeping changes announced by the Trump Administration this week.The move will dramatically complicate the process for hundreds of thousands of people who seek permanent residency from within the U.S. each year, and has sparked a backlash from immigration advocates.The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the new policy in a memo on May 21, stating that green cards would be issued within the U.S. only for “extraordinary circumstances” and instructing immigration officers to make case-by-case determinations. Read More: Legal Immigration Pathways Are DisappearingDaniel Kanstroom, a professor at Boston College Law School and founder of the university’s Immigration and Asylum Clinic, tells TIME that the main purpose of this memo is likely to reduce the number of green cards that are approved.“This Administration is trying to make it as difficult as possible for as many people as possible to attain permanent resident status,” he says.“We’re focusing now on the group of people who potentially have the strongest reasons to stay in this country legitimately,” he says, referring to the spouses and family members of U.S. citizens or legal residents.It is unclear how the agency will determine who can apply for a green card while in the country and…

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