The Trump administration has implemented aggressive policies targeting both undocumented immigrants and those legally in the US, including suspending the refugee program, revoking temporary protected status for about 1 million people, restricting asylum access, pausing humanitarian parole for over 1.5 million people, and targeting DACA recipients and visa holders. A May 2026 USCIS memo now requires most people seeking green cards while in the US to instead leave and apply from abroad, reframing adjustment of status as 'extraordinary relief' rather than a routine benefit, potentially affecting roughly 1 million pending applicants who would need to show 'unusual or outstanding equities' to qualify. Adjustment of status has been part of immigration law since 1960 and has accounted for more than half of all people who became lawful permanent residents in recent years, meaning the memo could eliminate the primary path to a green card for most applicants. USCIS issued the policy without following the standard federal notice-and-comment rulemaking process.