Trump administration appears to downplay impact of green card policy changes

Following intense backlash, the Trump administration is seeking to downplay the impact and scope of a recent immigration policy change that triggered concerns that hundreds of thousands of green card applicants would be forced to leave the U.S. to continue their cases. Last week, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services unveiled guidance that officials said would eliminate the option for many immigrants to apply for a green card, or permanent U.S. residency, without having to leave the country to complete the process at an American consulate in their home countries. The memo appeared to dramatically limit a process known as "adjustment of status," which permits immigrants being sponsored for a green card by American employers or relatives to stay in the U.S. while they wait for one. At the time, a USCIS spokesperson said someone "who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances." The announcement alarmed immigrants, business groups and immigration lawyers, who feared the move would force hundreds of thousands to leave the U.S. and strand some of them overseas due to broad travel and entry restrictions the Trump administration has imposed on dozens of countries. …