US is stopping processing some "green card" applications due to Trump's order on checks

The final processing of applications submitted by some immigrants for permanent resident status - "green cards" - is being suspended in accordance with the decree of US President Donald Trump, signed in January, UNN writes with reference to NBC News.

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US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which deals with citizenship, legal status and other immigration benefits, has suspended the processing of certain applications for so-called "green cards" to conduct additional screening of applicants, according to a statement from the US Department of Homeland Security.

Trump's decree, signed on January 20, calls on agencies to "check and screen to the fullest extent possible all foreigners who intend to be admitted, enter, or are already in the United States, especially foreigners coming from regions or countries with identified security risks."

CBS News reported on Tuesday that USCIS has instructed its staff to conduct additional screening of refugees or individuals who have been granted asylum and who have applied for lawful permanent residence or "green cards."

The statement, attributed to a DHS spokesman, said it is "temporarily suspending the consideration of certain applications for adjustment of status pending the completion of additional screening and verification."

The statement does not mention the affected applications, whether the pause will affect the agency's expenses, how long it will last, and other questions asked by NBC News.

For refugees and those who have been granted asylum in the United States, this will be a check on top of a process that has already taken place, which is quite strict for refugees who are usually screened abroad before they can set foot on United States soil.

"There is a certain amount of documentation that you must provide as a refugee or asylum seeker," Laura Collins, director of the Bush-SMU Economic Growth Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, told NBC News. - All these people who have been approved for resettlement or stay in the United States, this is because the United States government has already approved their stay here."

People who are granted asylum or who are admitted to the United States as refugees must wait one year before they can apply for a "green card."

Collins said it remains to be seen how the audit will be conducted and how long the pause will last. She said that during the first Trump administration, USCIS made sure that every blank in the form was filled out correctly.

"So, if you didn't have a middle name... they would send your application back and say, 'Well, you didn't fill out the middle name part,'" Collins said. She said that USCIS may check social networks, "something they probably already check, but ask for another pair of eyes or a little longer to look."

Trump took similar steps in his previous presidential term.

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