Trump Administration Ends Domestic Adjustment of Status for Most Illegal Entrants

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has closed a major loophole in U.S. immigration law by ending the ability of most migrants who entered the country illegally to adjust their status to lawful permanent resident (green card holder) from inside the United States.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the policy shift this week, requiring individuals who entered without inspection or overstayed visas to generally return to their home countries and apply for immigrant visas through standard consular processing at U.S. embassies or consulates.

The change reverses a longstanding practice that allowed many illegal entrants — particularly those who later married U.S. citizens or had other qualifying family ties — to file Form I-485 for adjustment of status domestically. This pathway had been widely used to convert unlawful presence into legal permanent residency without first leaving the country.

Administration officials described the move as a restoration of the traditional immigration process and a key step toward deterring illegal entry. They argue that domestic adjustment created a powerful incentive for unlawful migration and undermined the integrity of the legal immigration system.

The policy primarily affects migrants who crossed the southern border illegally and later claimed eligibility through family sponsorship. Under the new rules, these individuals must depart the United States, apply for a visa abroad, and face potential multi-year waiting periods and re-entry bars before being considered for a green card.

The change is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of pending and future cases. USCIS has begun updating application guidance and notifying affected parties. Limited exceptions may still apply in cases involving extreme hardship or specific humanitarian circumstances, but the default requirement is now consular processing from abroad.

This policy shift is part of the broader Trump administration effort to enforce immigration laws more strictly, following mass deportation operations targeting criminal aliens and the termination of several Biden-era parole and asylum programs. Officials say it sends a clear message that entering the country illegally will no longer provide an easier route to legal status.

Immigration enforcement advocates welcomed the change, while critics called it overly punitive. The new rules are already in effect for new filings.