DHS says most immigrants won’t need to leave US to obtain green card

The recent policy directive issued by the Department of Homeland Security has sparked concerns among immigrant advocates and lawyers. The directive, which was issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier this month, requires most temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees living in the U.S. to return to their home countries to apply for and complete their green card applications.

Advocates have expressed worries about the broad impact of this directive, as it applies to any foreign national with a pending U.S.-filed green card application. However, the Department of Homeland Security has sought to downplay these concerns, stating that the policy will only affect those who do not merit the discretionary benefit and that it will not prevent any eligible individual from obtaining a green card.

Existing green card holders are assured that they will not be impacted by this policy and can continue to reside in the U.S. and travel freely. The policy memo, issued on May 22, is part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and instructs agency officers to treat “adjustment of status” applications as an “extraordinary form of relief.”

Despite the reassurances provided by the Department of Homeland Security, advocates and immigration lawyers remain concerned about the potential impact of this policy on hundreds of thousands of individuals with temporary work visas who are seeking permanent residency in the U.S.

In conclusion, while the Department of Homeland Security maintains that the new policy is aimed at ensuring that only eligible individuals receive green cards, the implications of this directive are still a cause for concern among immigrant advocates and legal professionals.

ABC News’ Luke Barr contributed to this report.