Your American Dream is pending review

0:01Sierra Juarez:NPR.

0:06This is The Indicator from Planet Money. I'm Julia Ritchie.

0:09Sierra Juarez:And I'm Adrian Ma. Right now, the Trump administration's policy on green cards is causing a lot of confusion among would-be immigrants. A few weeks ago, it made a big announcement saying, quote, 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. What was your reaction to that announcement? I might have to leave to maybe get a green card. And I have to stop doing my job. And that doesn't make any sense. I almost had a panic attack. And then I was like, I thought we were over this. You know who else almost had a panic attack?

0:49Sierra Juarez:The American business lobby. After they complained about the policy, the administration backpedaled. In a statement, the agency that handles green cards told us, quote, this policy will have no noticeable impact on highly qualified applicants and skilled professionals who have followed the law, unquote. But this is kind of vague, right? And so it's not really comforting to those still hoping for a green card. I honestly have never been more scared. That's the thing is that I feel like I'm completely powerless and that the only thing I can do is really wait and see. We asked listeners to tell us if and how they are affected by this policy shift.

1:25So today on the show, we hear from some of them.

1:28Sierra Juarez:They wanted to share their stories, but not their names. Each of them told us they were afraid talking publicly could hurt their chances of getting a green card. After the break, how they're feeling about their jobs, their families, and their hopes of continuing to live in America.

1:46Sierra Juarez:This message comes from Edward Jones, where they believe rich is about taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your financial advisor personalizes your plan, to help you preserve your progress and create something that lasts. Let's find your rich. Edward Jones, member SIPC. This message comes from NPR sponsor Charles Schwab with its original podcast, On Investing. It's hosted by Lizanne Saunders, Schwab's chief investment strategist, and Colin Martin, head of fixed income research and strategy for the Schwab Center for Financial Research. Each week, Lizanne, Colin, and their guests analyze economic developments and bring context to conversations around stocks, fixed income, the economy, and more.

2:29Download the latest episode and subscribe at schwab.com slash oninvesting or wherever you get your podcasts.

2:50Sierra Juarez:and find the best team for your small business all in one place. So while LinkedIn can't hang up all of your hats, it makes it easier to wear them all. Learn more at linkedin.com slash indicator show. Applying for a green card can take months or even years. Most of the listeners who reached out to us were in a similar situation. They said, I've applied for a green card and now it feels like I'm in limbo. Many told us they came to the U.S. years ago on a student or work visa and they found community, met partners, and built careers here. Like one listener who teaches chemistry for a living. Like, I actually love my job.

3:27If you want to be very corny, chemistry is magic. It's real-life magic.

3:31Sierra Juarez:She told us she loves teaching students who are new to the subject and she's actually on track for a tenured position. Since everything was going so well, she decided to apply for a green card. But then came the Trump administration's initial announcement about green card applicants needing to leave the country. I almost had a panic attack. What were you thinking about? I think you start thinking about the logistics of it. Like, okay, let's say I need to go back. Where would I live? Do we lose our jobs? Do I need to sell my house? What happens to my mortgage? Do I need to find a school for my daughter?

4:08How long do I have?

4:09Sierra Juarez:The agency in charge of green cards is called U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS. And while they've said most people will not have to leave the country to apply for a green card, they haven't provided much detail on how they're making that decision. So things are still unclear. It's like sort of like all the things that you're working on for 10 years is in danger of being destroyed. Another listener who reached out to us is a U.S. citizen who's originally from Brazil, and she's worried about how the policy changes could affect her family. She says her mom came over a few years ago on a temporary visa to help her and her husband with their newborn child.

4:48When I am at work, when my husband's at work, my son doesn't go to daycare or to preschool. He's only two and a half. So my mom is the one who is feeding him, taking care of him, teaching Portuguese, which is so important because I am married to an American and I really want my son to still have that connection to his roots.

5:10Sierra Juarez:Later on, this listener told us she applied for a green card for her mom. And because that process has taken so long, her mom's temporary visa has expired. Now she's worried the next time her mom has to go into an interview with USCIS about her green card, they won't just deny her application. She's worried immigration agents may actually detain and deport her. How's your mom taking this? She just cries randomly in the middle of the day now. and I completely understand. She's very scared of not being able to see her grandson grow up. We reached out to USCIS to see if we could get some clarity.

5:52We asked what factors will they use to decide whether someone can stay in the country or whether they'll have to leave in order to apply for a green card. In a statement, the agency basically told us skilled professionals who provide economic benefits to the United States won't really be affected. They also said, quote, the president is continuing to prioritize immigration that strengthens America culturally, socially and financially while preventing mass third world migration, which hurts our country and Americans, unquote.

6:20Sierra Juarez:Obviously, some very loaded language here. So we followed up and asked, what do you mean by economic benefits? What do you mean by third world? They didn't respond to our repeated requests for comment. In the meantime, this whole situation has created a lot of work for immigration lawyers like Mauricio Garcia. When the policy came out, phone lines went crazy. I mean, every single client that we have pending with an adjustment of status was calling in, freaking out. Hey, what's going on? And to be completely honest, there was absolutely no guidance. I mean, this just came out of nowhere. To be fair, Mauricio says immigration policy does tend to change from president to president.

6:59The clearest example that I can give you is that during the Biden administration, we would see a lot of individuals that would apply for adjustment of status that wouldn't even have interviews. Sometimes they would approve based on the merits and whatever they would have on the record.

7:13Sierra Juarez:He says USCIS was less stringent about requiring applicants to come in for interviews, partly due to COVID. That changed after Trump took office, which Mauricio thinks was fine. But now he thinks the administration is pushing the bounds of the law with its latest green card policy. Myself and almost every immigration attorney I know, we are expecting significant litigation to be brought about as a result of this because a lot of individuals will be caught in the crosshairs and they're going to lose significant immigration benefits because of this. The folks we interviewed told us it feels like the lives they built here are at risk, even though they tried to do immigration the quote-unquote right way.

7:53And while it remains to be seen how this policy will play out, They said the administration's actions send a message to those hoping to settle down here. One listener who's been working here as an engineer told us it adds to a growing sense that immigrants aren't welcome. When I was deciding what does to come here, freedom is quite a big factor. But also, it feels like, at least in recent years, freedom of expression, freedom of multiculturalism is kind of fading.

8:24Sierra Juarez:Another listener who works in tech put it like this. It's just difficult for me to reconcile my understanding of what the U.S. claims to be and the American dream is and this policy. The United States is very happy to have my labor, but is not very happy to have me. Thanks to everyone who reached out to us with their stories. We'll be following this. And if you want to get in touch, email us, indicator at npr.org. This episode was produced by Cooper Katz McKim and engineered by Kweisi Lee. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Kagan Cannon is our editor, and The Indicator is a production of NPR.

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