Trump administration halts processing of some green card applications

The Department of Homeland Security said it has suspended processing of some legal permanent resident cards, commonly known as "green cards," for additional screening and verification.

The "green card" gives the holder important benefits, such as the opportunity to live and work legally and permanently in the US.

A DHS spokesperson told CNN that some green card applications that remain on hold are submitted through the "adjustment of status" process.

"To better identify fraud, public safety, or national security issues, USCIS is temporarily halting the completion of some Adjustment of Status applications while it awaits additional examinations and verifications," a DHS spokesperson said, foreign media wrote, according to Telegraph.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), adjustment of status is a process to apply for a “Green Card” for individuals who are in the U.S. legally and are eligible for certain categories, including foreign workers and family members, as well as refugees and asylees.

The move to halt the process for some status application adjustments is part of the US government's overall campaign to curb migration to the country.

The DHS spokesperson indicated that this move "is consistent" with an executive order and a presidential action that Trump issued on the first day of his second term. /Telegraph/