US tells foreigners seeking green cards: Return to your countries to apply

WASHINGTON — Foreigners seeking to adjust their immigration status in the United States to secure green cards will have to do so from outside the country via the State Department, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said on Friday, in a move criticized by aid groups.

USCIS announced the move in a policy memo, which directed officers to consider relevant factors and information on a case-by-case basis when determining whether extraordinary relief is warranted. "An alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply," said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which has oversight of USCIS. "This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes." The USCIS said the new policy will free up agency resources to focus on processing other cases.

HIAS, an aid group that provides services to refugees, among other groups of immigrants, said USCIS was forcing survivors of trafficking and abused and neglected children to return to the dangerous countries they fled in order to proce