Story perspectives

USCIS Memo Could Force Arizona Immigrants Abroad, Sparks Lawsuit

5/28/2026

Summary

Story summary

USCIS issued a memo that may force thousands of Arizona immigrants to leave the United States to finish green-card applications.
The memo limits adjustment of status to extraordinary circumstances, creating confusion among green-card applicants.
Immigration lawyers say the memo contradicts the 1952 Immigration and Naturalization Act and will be sued.
Applicants who leave could face a ten-year reentry ban and may stay permanently abroad if a consular visa is denied.

History

Historical Context

Congress enacted the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act in 1996, signed by President Bill Clinton and effective April 1 1997, creating a ten-year re-entry bar for anyone removed or who left while removal was pending. The act also introduced reinstatement of removal and expanded expedited removal, foundations for today’s USCIS memo limiting adjustment of status.

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Story summary

USCIS issued a memo that may force thousands of Arizona immigrants to leave the United States to finish green-card applications.
The memo limits adjustment of status to extraordinary circumstances, creating confusion among green-card applicants.
Immigration lawyers say the memo contradicts the 1952 Immigration and Naturalization Act and will be sued.
Applicants who leave could face a ten-year reentry ban and may stay permanently abroad if a consular visa is denied.

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