Immigration law experts say the policy change is unclear on who would be required to actually leave the United States.

Some applicants faced new questions in interviews Tuesday, while others saw no change in light of the USCIS memo.

Immigration lawyers say Trump's green card memo set off a holiday-weekend scramble among employers, workers, and clients seeking answers.

Trump's immigration policy limits green card status adjustments, causing confusion and debate among lawyers, advocates, and policy experts.

A USCIS spokesman told Newsweek that the agency is “reasserting” what it believes Congress intended all along.

A new USCIS policy, PM-602-0199, issued May 22, 2026, mandates stricter discretionary review for Green Card applications filed within the US. Immigration lawyers advise against withdrawing applications,

The Trump administration’s latest immigration policy of recasting ‘adjustment of status’ as an ‘extraordinary’ discretionary benefit and pushing many green card applicants toward consular processing abroad is expected to trigger immediate litigation,

Congresswoman Grace Meng, who is also the chairperson of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, said the new rule was “reckless”.