U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday a major shift in immigration policy, dictating that noncitizens in the U.S. who have applied for a green card, or lawful permanent resident status, must leave the country indefinitely — even if they are in the country legally and regardless of whether they have spouses or children with citizenship.

Green card petitioners will then be required to wait for their application to be processed outside the country through consular processing via the U.S. Department of State.

USCIS said it will grant «adjustment of status» only in extraordinary circumstances, on a case-by-case basis.

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The Trump administration’s position remains that when noncitizens travel into the country via student visas, tourist visas or temporary work status, they are supposed to leave once that term expires and that temporary permission to be in the U.S. should not serve as the first step toward getting a green card.

Officials claim the policy reflects the original intentions of the law, though lawsuits and litigation are expected to follow.

«We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly,» USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler wrote in a statement. «From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a green card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances. This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes.»

It is unclear if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin deporting green card applicants. (John Moore/Getty Images)

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Kahler added that when noncitizens apply for a green card from their home country, it reduces the need to find and remove those who «decide to slip into the shadows» and remain in the U.S. illegally after being denied residency.

«Nonimmigrants, like students, temporary workers or people on tourist visas, come to the U.S. for a short time and for a specific purpose,» he said. «Our system is designed for them to leave when their visit is over. Their visit should not function as the first step in the green card process.

Candidates for U.S. citizenship sit before receiving their certificates of naturalization during a formal ceremony in Manhattan, New York City, on June 4, 2025. One hundred twenty applicants from 39 countries received their certificates at the ceremony. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

«Following the law allows the majority of these cases to be handled by the State Department at U.S. consular offices abroad and frees up limited USCIS resources to focus on processing other cases that fall under its purview, including visas for victims of violent crime and human trafficking, naturalization applications and other priorities,» Kahler added. «The law was written this way for a reason, and despite the fact that it has been ignored for years, following it will help make our system fairer and more efficient.»

Critics of the policy shift argue many overstays have U.S. citizen spouses or children, pay taxes and fill labor shortages and, if removed from the country, will face long processing delays and humanitarian concerns.

It is unclear if Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will begin deporting green card applicants.

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Maye Musk, Elon Musk’s mother, took to X to react to the policy change.

«When I wanted to get my green card, I had to have numerous vaccinations, health tests and a lung x-ray,» Maye Musk wrote in a post. «Because I was Canadian, I had to fly to Montreal to have a lung x-ray again to confirm that it’s the same person. However, when the x-ray had to be delivered to me at my friend’s home, the delivery truck was stuck on a bridge because of thick ice. I had to stay an extra day. Nothing was easy. It took another five years before I could get citizenship. Worth it.»

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Ted Daniels, who was nearly killed by the Taliban, ripped Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner over a resurfaced post in which Platner said Daniels should not have survived.

Speaking to «The Bottom Line» on Thursday, Daniels called Platner a «coward» for hiding behind a keyboard.

«People like this don’t say stuff like this to my face,» he said. «It’s online, and that right there tells me, Graham, you’re a coward.»

In a now-deleted Reddit post from June 2019, Platner reacted to a viral helmet-cam video showing Daniels being shot four times during a 2012 clash with Taliban fighters.

«This video never gets old,» Platner wrote under the username «P-Hustle,» a deleted Reddit account he has acknowledged owning.

«Dumb motherf—– didn’t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat a– wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. Poor marksmanship on the Taliban’s part is the only reason this mouthbreather made it home, he managed to make every possible s— decision possible when it comes to small unit combat,» the post read.

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The deleted post can still be found in the Maine Monitor’s database of Platner’s deleted Reddit history.

Platner, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, is facing mounting backlash over his past online comments, which have drawn criticism from veterans and lawmakers across the political spectrum. His resurfaced Reddit account also featured a stream of vulgar and highly unusual posts that critics say raise broader questions about Platner’s judgment.

«Thank you for your service, Graham, but I think you’re a scumbag personally,» Daniels said.

Other resurfaced Reddit posts included Platner describing himself as a «communist» and «socialist,» alleged homophobic slurs, and praise for Hamas military tactics.

Daniels said Platner’s comments may stem from personal insecurity.

«Hate never comes from above,» he said. «It always comes from below. I don’t know if Mr. Platner has an inferiority complex. I don’t know if he’s disgusted or not proud of his own service because he’s out there attacking folks who are proud of their service and have done the right things for the right reason.»

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Senate candidate Graham Platner, D-Maine, acknowledges a large crowd during a town hall at Bunker Brewing in Portland, Maine, on Sept. 25, 2025. (Daryn Slover/Portland Press Herald via AP)

He said he first learned about the post while having coffee with his wife and immediately asked whether it came from a «liberal» before knowing who wrote it.

After his wife confirmed it was Platner, Daniels said the comments «made sense.»

«This is what they do. It’s the violent rhetoric. It’s hateful rhetoric,» he said.

Daniels said Platner needed «therapy» for attacking other soldiers, including «American Sniper» and former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, whom Platner previously accused of killing civilians to inflate his numbers.

«The comments that he made about me are just one thing. He attacked former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle as well. Chris Kyle’s an American hero, he’s an icon, the legend,» he said.

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Sen. Susan Collins blasts Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner’s mocking of a U.S. wounded soldier as the two are headed toward a likely November showdown. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

He added that Platner’s comments reflect poorly on the military as a whole.

«Everybody thinks that everybody that served in the military is a saint and can do no wrong and that’s just not the case,» he said.

«Just to have somebody like this involved in our culture in the first place, it’s embarrassing for the entire military and veteran community.»

Daniels said Platner is contributing to extreme political rhetoric online.

«This man has cheered on Antifa. He has called for violence. He hates cops, and it’s like, this is what we’re dealing with,» he said. «From what I see, it’s all behind the keyboard.»

He said Platner’s rhetoric and emotionally unstable behavior make him unfit for office.

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«This is coming from a man whose party has no idea what a woman is, yet he saw a video of a man online and had an emotional meltdown like a 13-year-old girl who just got dumped by her boyfriend,» Daniels said. «Honestly, that’s not the type of leadership that we need in our government.»

Platner became the Democrats’ presumptive nominee after two-term Gov. Janet Mills ended her campaign last month. If he wins the June primary, Platner will face five-term incumbent Republican Sen. Susan Collins this fall.

Ante la ola de conflictos sociales que atraviesa Bolivia, la Comunidad Andina expresó su preocupación e instó a que las diferencias sean encauzadas dentro del marco constitucional y democrático.

“La Presidencia Pro Tempore y la Secretaría General consideran fundamental que la actual coyuntura sea abordada mediante un diálogo político constructivo, amplio y pacífico, que permita generar consensos y preservar la estabilidad institucional, en pleno respeto del Estado de Derecho y de las autoridades democráticamente electas”, señala en un comunicado.

En ese sentido, hicieron un llamado a todos los actores involucrados a actuar con “responsabilidad y prudencia”, para superar la actual coyuntura social, en la que al menos nueve organizaciones sociales se manifiestan con marchas y bloqueos contra el gobierno de Rodrigo Paz y exigen su renuncia.

La CAN manifestó su preocupación por los hechos que generan “perturbaciones en el normal desenvolvimiento de la vida institucional y en la provisión de servicios esenciales en Bolivia”, en referencia a los costos sociales de los bloqueos de caminos que tienen cercada La Paz desde hace 16 días: desabastecimiento de alimentos, suspensión parcial de actividades escolares, irregularidades en el transporte público y otros servicios como el recojo de basura.

“La Presidencia Pro Tempore y la Secretaría General de la Comunidad Andina subrayan la importancia del diálogo, la convivencia pacífica, así como el respeto al orden constitucional, principios que sustentan los procesos democráticos en todos los países de la subregión andina”, finaliza el comunicado.

Bolivia atraviesa una sucesión de protestas que iniciaron hace más de un mes con reclamos sindicales que luego derivaron en pedidos de renuncia contra Paz, que asumió funciones hace apenas seis meses, a quien acusan de no resolver los problemas del país y de gobernar en favor de los sectores privilegiados.

“El Gobierno se ha convertido en un representante de la oligarquía boliviana”, explicó David Mamani, representante de la Federación Campesina Túpac Katari, la que inició los bloqueos y encabeza la movilización. “Ellos quieren gobernar para ellos, no para el sector popular que está desamparado”, afirmó y acusó al jefe de Estado de “pisotear” la Constitución Política del Estado con la emisión de decretos que considera inconstitucionales.

Desde el inicio del conflicto, las protestas se han extendido por el territorio y lo que comenzó focalizado en el departamento de La Paz, hoy abarca siete de las nueve regiones del país. Este viernes, la Administradora Boliviana de Carreteras (ABC) reporta 51 piquetes, la mayoría concentrados en la región del altiplano y en Cochabamba, al centro del país.

El Gobierno de Paz ha descartado su renuncia y ha informado sobre reuniones con diferentes sectores para mitigar los focos de conflicto sin dar detalles sobre las negociaciones. El miércoles, el presidente prometió ajustes en su gabinete —pero desde entonces solo cambió al ministro de Trabajo— y la creación de un Consejo Económico y Social, que será una instancia consultiva y de diálogo con organizaciones sociales.

“Con aquellos que respetan la democracia, siempre las puertas estarán abiertas”, manifestó Paz en una conferencia de prensa y descartó acercamientos con los sectores que protagonizaron actos de violencia el lunes en La Paz cuando hubo enfrentamientos con la Policía, ataques a oficinas públicas y estaciones del transporte público, además de agresiones físicas a civiles.

El de la CAN es un pronunciamiento de varios de la comunidad internacional sobre la situación en Bolivia. Anteriormente expresaron su respaldo al gobierno y al orden democrático ocho países latinoamericanos, la Unión Europea, Estados Unidos y su “Escudo de las Américas”, el Consejo Permanente de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA) y los más de 30 expresidentes de América y España que conforman el Grupo Idea.