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US green card applicants will now have to return to home countries to apply, DHS says

The Guardian · 🇬🇧 public United Kingdom · · 421 words · By José Olivares
immigration_policy Human Rights/Aid Group Criticism Trump administration actions
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What to know about immigration_policy

Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country via the state department, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Friday, in a move criticized by…

Claims checked 7
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left14%
Center72%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country via the state department, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Friday, in a move criticized by…

Why it matters

USCIS announced the move in a policy memo, which directed officers to consider relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted.

Common ground

The green card process had been unchanged for more than 60 years, marking the latest significant move by the Trump administration on immigration policy.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/22/green-card-applicants-trump-admi…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 3
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Claim 1: “According to an analyst with the Cato institute, more than 1 million legal immigrants in the US are waiting on their green cards.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Evidence mentions a Cato Institute analysis regarding 400,000 Indian workers facing long waits, but does not provide the specific figure of 'more than 1 million legal immigrants' waiting for green cards.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — On December 18, 2023, Japanese steelmaker Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC), the world's third-largest steel producer, agreed to buy United States Steel Corporation (U.S. Steel) for $14.9 billion. Under …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquisition_of_U.S._Steel_by_N…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief execut…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cato_Institute
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Trials of Cato are a Welsh/English folk band that originally consisted of Tomos Williams, Will Addison and Robin Jones. Their 2018 debut album Hide and Hair won Best Album in the BBC Radio 2 Folk …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Trials_of_Cato
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “People apply for green cards in two separate ways: by applying at a US consulate abroad, or by applying for a green card while already in the US, which is called an “adjustment of status”.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources explain the two paths to a green card: consular processing abroad and adjustment of status within the US.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — ... Residence or Adjust Status and process the applications in one step. ... Step 8: USCIS mails the U.S. Permanent Resident Card to the applicant within 30 days.
https://brownimmigrationlaw.com/immigration-memos/adjustment…
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web search NEUTRAL — Jun 16, 2017 ... The pros and cons of adjusting status in the U.S. versus consular processing abroad are outlined below. A) Adjustment of Status through USCIS.
https://millermayer.com/green-card-processing-u-s-vs-abroad/
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web search NEUTRAL — Jan 3, 2026 ... Adjustment of Status (AOS) lets eligible individuals apply for a green card from within the U.S.—no consular interview abroad required. In ...
https://www.facebook.com/immigrationlawyerny/posts/-adjustme…
verified
Claim 3: “The green card process had been unchanged for more than 60 years”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While some sources mention the foundational tenets of immigration remaining mostly unchanged for decades, no evidence specifically confirms that the green card process remained 'unchanged for more than 60 years'. Wikipedia results provided were irrelevant (U.S. Route 60).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — U.S. Route 60 is a major east–west United States highway, traveling 2,655 miles (4,273 km) from southwestern Arizona to the Atlantic Ocean coast in Virginia. The highway's eastern terminus is in Virg…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_60
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — U.S. Route 60 (US 60) is an east–west United States Highway within Arizona. The highway runs for 369 miles (594 km) from a junction with Interstate 10 near Quartzsite to the New Mexico state line near…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_60_in_Arizona
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in the Commonwealth of Virginia runs 303 miles (488 km) west to east through the central part of the state, generally close to and paralleling the Interstate 64 corridor, except …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_60_in_Virginia
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “USCIS announced the move in a policy memo, which directed officers to consider relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted.”
CORROBORATED
Web search results explicitly mention the policy memo and the instruction for officers to consider relevant factors on a case-by-case basis for extraordinary relief.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The policy memo directed officers to consider all relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether an alien warrants this extraordinary form of relief.
https://www.business-standard.com/immigration/trump-admin-en…
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web search NEUTRAL — "This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes." The USCIS said the new policy will free up agency resources to focus on processing other…
https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2026-05-22/usc…
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web search NEUTRAL — USCIS has issued a new policy memo directing officers to place holds on specific pending immigration benefit requests tied to applicants whose country of birth or citizenship appears on the list ident…
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dustinsaldarriaga_immigration…
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Claim 5: “Last year, the Trump administration moved to shorten the duration of visas for students, cultural exchange visitors and members of the media.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm the Trump administration proposed rules to shorten visa durations for students, exchange visitors, and media members.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Trump administration proposes rule to shorten visas for students, exchange visitors, and media, tightening oversight of legal immigration. (Representational image/Unsplash).
https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/fouryear-v…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Trump administration has proposed new regulations that would impose fixed time limits on visas for foreign students, cultural exchange visitors and media members, replacing the current flexible “d…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-admin-limit-visa-d…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Trump administration has said foreign nationals who enter the US on temporary visas should return to their home countries if they want to apply for permanent residency, arguing that the move is ai…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/22/us-says-temporary-v…
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Claim 6: “Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country via the state department, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said on Friday”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results confirm that USCIS issued a policy memo requiring certain foreigners to apply for green cards via consular processing (State Department) outside the US.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — A green card, known officially as a permanent resident card, is an identity document which shows that a person has permanent residency in the United States. Green card holders are formally known as la…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_card
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kazarian v. USCIS refers to a case decided by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on March 4, 2010, pertaining to a decision by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazarian_v._USCIS
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that administers the country's naturalization and immigration system.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Citizenship_and_…
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 7: “In January, the state department announced that it had revoked more than 100,000 visas in the second Trump administration.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While Wikipedia entries confirm the existence of a second Trump administration and a 2026 state visit, there is no evidence provided in the search results confirming the specific claim that the State Department announced the revocation of over 100,000 visas in January.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From 13 to 15 May 2026, the president of the United States, Donald Trump, made a state visit to China. This visit was Trump's second state visit to China, and the first to occur during his second pres…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_state_visit_by_Donald_Tru…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Department of State v. AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition is a United States court case filed in 2025 against the second Trump administration by several non-profit organizations who were supposed to rece…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_State_v._AIDS_Va…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equiv…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Department_of_St…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.