US Lawmakers Slam Trump Green Card Processing Overhaul, Seek Reversal

The Trump administration’s new immigration policy forcing most green card applicants to apply from their home countries has sparked outrage across the United States, with lawmakers, immigration advocates, tech leaders, and legal experts warning it could disrupt lives, separate families, and damage the US economy.

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that temporary visa holders, including H-1B workers, students, tourists, and other non-immigrants, must now leave the US and complete green card processing abroad unless they qualify under “extraordinary circumstances.”

The move effectively restricts the long-standing “adjustment of status” system that allowed eligible immigrants to become permanent residents without leaving the country. Immigration lawyers say the policy could affect hundreds of thousands of applicants , especially Indians trapped in decades-long green card backlogs.

Immigration advocate Ajay Bhutoria said nearly “1.2 million Indian Americans and their families” now face uncertainty despite legally living and working in the US for years. Several organisations are reportedly preparing lawsuits challenging the policy.

Critics also warn that some immigrants could face three-year or ten-year re-entry bans if they leave the US after accumulating unlawful presence.

Congresswoman Grace Meng called the decision “reprehensible,” while Congressman Joaquin Castro accused the administration of fueling a “mass deportation machine.” Tech leaders including Andrew Ng warned the policy could weaken America’s competitiveness in AI, science, and healthcare.

The administration has suggested exemptions may apply to immigrants providing “economic benefit” or serving the “national interest,” but no detailed guidelines have been issued yet.