US tightens grip: Green card access to get tougher for nationals of banned countries

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu) : The United States is preparing to revise its immigration policy. President Donald Trump appears to be taking a tough stance on this matter. According to American media, a new immigration policy is being formulated. This could include stricter measures regarding green cards and other benefits under the Trump administration's travel ban.

According to the US media outlet New York Times, internal drafts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will instruct US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials to consider the nationality of someone coming from travel-ban countries as a negative factor when evaluating applications for green cards, asylum, parole and other immigration benefits. This means that green card benefits will be limited for people from countries against which the US has imposed travel bans. However, this change will not apply to US citizenship applications. Currently, USCIS considers factors like community ties, criminal history and humanitarian needs.

In June of this year, the US imposed a travel ban on 12 countries: Afghanistan, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. Additionally, the US has imposed a partial ban on seven countries: Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. Under this ban, citizens of these countries cannot permanently enter the US or obtain certain visas. Although the new immigration policy has not yet been officially announced, if implemented, it would make it more difficult for those from the banned countries to obtain green cards. This policy would significantly accelerate Trump's crackdown on legal immigration and could lead to new legal challenges from civil rights groups.