United States suspends green card processing for some refugees and asylees

The Trump administration has paused the permanent residency process, commonly known as the green card, for certain migrants who applied in recent years. The suspension primarily affects refugees and asylees, according to CBS, which first reported the news. Washington justifies the move by citing widespread fraud in residency applications. This abrupt halt to an already lengthy process — often spanning several years — leaves applicants in legal limbo and adds to the uncertainty created by the federal government’s intensified crackdown on migrants, many of whom have legal status.

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recently informed its employees that all proceedings for refugees and asylum seekers seeking permanent residency must be paused until further notice.

“USCIS is placing a temporary pause on finalizing certain Adjustment of Status applications [the official name of the green card process] pending the completion of additional screening and vetting to identify potential fraud, public safety, or national security concerns, in alignment” with Mr. Trump’s executive actions, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in the statement to CBS. “Adjustment of status” is the official name of the green card process.

The DHS — which is led by Kristi Noem — argues that green card approvals were handled too leniently under the Biden administration. However, the data does not support this claim. During Biden’s first year in office, authorities granted citizenship (a separate process from obtaining a green card) to 875,000 people. This marked a 9% decrease from the 969,000 new citizens in fiscal year 2022, the highest figure in a decade. The number remained steady throughout 2024, Biden’s final year in office, with approximately 2.6 million new citizens added over his three-year term.

Since returning to the White House, Donald Trump has directed his administration — via executive memoranda — to tighten oversight of all immigration processes, from temporary visas to permanent residency applications. “The United States must ensure that admitted aliens and aliens otherwise already present in the United States do not bear hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles,” Trump wrote in a directive dated January 20, the first day of his second term.

Regardless of which party is in power, the U.S. government routinely adds or modifies residency requirements. In late 2024, before Biden left office, USCIS introduced a new rule requiring a medical examination as part of the green card application process.

The pause on some green card applications is just one of several recent blows to immigration policies. This week, Washington revoked legal status and work permits for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Haiti who arrived in recent years under humanitarian parole. As a result, approximately 530,000 people — including parole recipients and their immediate family members — now face deportation. Those affected must leave the country voluntarily in the coming weeks to avoid being targeted by ICE agents.

Additionally, last week, the administration terminated contracts with dozens of non-governmental organizations and law firms that assist unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. In recent years, tens of thousands of children have migrated to the United States alone. The government has now made it significantly harder for them to remain. The administration argues the funding cuts are in response to alleged fraud and abuse in asylum cases.

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