The Trump administration has subtly indicated that its proposed modifications to green card issuance will not affect a large portion of applicants, a move that calmed concerns among business leaders.
According to The Washington Post, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has provided private assurances to these leaders, stating that the majority of work visas would remain untouched by the newly suggested policy alterations.
This reassurance followed guidelines released on May 22, which suggested that foreign visitors should apply for permanent residency from their home countries, unless they face ‘extraordinary circumstances.’
The broad and ambiguous wording of the guidelines left immigration attorneys and corporate leaders unsure about the policy’s targets and its potential to impact hundreds of thousands of green card aspirants.
In response, a discreet lobbying effort emerged. High-profile businesses, industry groups, and CEOs engaged in private discussions with the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, as reported by The Post.
The US Chamber of Commerce voiced its concerns, advocating for more transparency and highlighting the possible repercussions for employers. The Post, citing an anonymous source, reported that the Chamber pressed administration officials for clarification.
The tech industry also quietly lobbied the White House, adding to a wave of behind-the-scenes outreach from corporate America.
But their efforts appeared to pay off, with the administration shifting its tone at a meeting with business representatives late last week.
Business leaders raised concerns after the Trump administration announced that more green card applicants would have to return to their home countries
The updated guidance quickly drew concern from major business groups, including the US Chamber of Commerce
Even so, the administration has yet to issue formal public guidance reflecting those assurances, leaving many employers uncertain about how the policy will be enforced.
A source close to the matter told the Daily Mail the policy wouldn’t affect current green card holders, and the policy memo was meant to reinstate longstanding law and policy that was disregarded by the Biden administration.
They also clarified that the policy won’t stop people who clearly qualify for a green card, but it may require some applicants who don’t meet the standards to apply from outside the US instead of inside the country.
The policy, they claimed, targets fraud and keeps the focus on skilled, law-abiding applicants who benefit the economy, coinciding with the Trump administration’s vision for the way immigration should be shaped.
The tension is familiar.
President Trump has previously faced resistance from business leaders over his hardline immigration policies, including last summer when the administration paused some immigration raids after agricultural employers warned they could lose critical workers.
The administration also clarified that a new $100,000 fee on H1B visas would only affect new visas after a similar uproar from the business community.
Even Trump weighed in, saying he was ‘opposed’ to a massive raid on the Hyundai facility in Georgia last fall after receiving outrage.
Trump previously responded to backlash over the large-scale raid on a Hyundai facility in Georgia last fall, saying he opposed it
After reports that the new green card policy had taken effect, some applicants were told this week that enforcement had been paused while immigration officials received further guidance, immigration lawyers told The Post.
Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the US Chamber of Commerce, said the organization had also heard that some recent green card applicants would not be required to return to their home countries.
Bradley welcomed the development but urged the administration to provide greater clarity.
A White House official told the Post that the policy largely restates existing law and is not expected to have a significant impact on skilled professionals and other qualified applicants.
Officials also said immigration officers would have the discretion to decide on a case-by-case basis whether someone would need to leave the US to apply for permanent residency.
But business leaders remain only partially reassured, as the administration has yet to issue formal guidance detailing who would be affected.
Lawyers representing major employers told the Post they are taking a wait-and-see approach.
The Daily Mail contacted USCIS for comment.
