Prof. Ana Pottratz Acosta Interviewed by MPR News About New Green Card Application Policy

Professor Ana Pottratz Acosta was interviewed by MPR News about the Trump administration signaling a tougher approach to legal immigration with a new policy that could force more green card applicants to leave the country while their cases are processed abroad. For decades, many immigrants who qualified for permanent residency through marriage, family sponsorship or employment have been able to complete the process while remaining in the United States through what’s known as “adjustment of status.” Now, immigration attorneys say a new federal policy memo suggests immigration officials could more aggressively deny those applications — particularly for people who overstayed visas or spent years out of legal status. Prof. Pottratz Acosta said the memo itself does not rewrite immigration law, but it could significantly change how immigration officers interpret and apply existing rules. She said, “In reading through the memo it appears to contradict what is actually stated in the statute, and that is what I think makes it vulnerable to a legal challenge.” Listen to the full interview.