United States requires refugees to obtain green cards within one year or face detention
Change
The United States Department of Homeland Security directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain people admitted as refugees who do not secure lawful permanent resident status within 12 months unless they present themselves to the agencies, per a Feb. 18 memo.
Why it matters
The directive creates a strict timing condition on continued lawful presence, making legal residency contingent on meeting an expedited status deadline or complying with agency check-ins. That timing requirement raises immediate administrative urgency and increases the likelihood that missed filings or missed check-ins will trigger enforcement actions and removal proceedings.
Implications
- • People admitted as refugees to the United States must apply for adjustment to lawful permanent resident status within 12 months of arrival or present themselves to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to avoid detention.
- • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must begin detaining individuals identified by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as failing to meet the one-year adjustment or reporting requirement.
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Source
Topics
Policy & Regulation Migration Human Rights Regulatory Actions Compliance