President Trump’s administration is slamming the brakes on marriage-based green cards with a scrutiny that could make even the most genuine couples sweat, as Breitbart reports.
The latest policy shift from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) signals a hardline crackdown, ramping up skepticism on migrants claiming legitimate marriages to U.S. citizens, reexamining existing green cards, and even axing the diversity visa lottery program entirely.
For American taxpayers, this hits close to home—every fraudulent marriage green card potentially costs public resources in benefits and enforcement, draining funds that could support struggling families or veterans.
Historically, tying the knot with a U.S. citizen was a strong step toward legal status, though never a sure bet. Now, USCIS is turning up the heat, inspecting applications with a magnifying glass to weed out sham marriages.
This policy pivot stems from rising concerns over visa fraud, with Trump’s team targeting temporary unions arranged for cash or convenience. The message is clear: if it smells like a setup, it’s getting shut down.
A new sticking point is the insistence on shared living arrangements—a rule that wasn’t as tightly enforced before. Fail to prove you’re under the same roof, and you’re asking for a denial.
“Immigration officers do not care why you live apart, and they do not care if it’s for work, school, money, or convenience,” warns Brad Bernstein, an immigration attorney at Spar & Bernstein.
“So, if you’re not living in the same house every day, immigration is going to start questioning the marriage. And once they question it, they’re investigating, and once they come knocking on your door, they’re looking to deny you. So, if you want a marriage green card, you live together. Period,” Bernstein adds.
Let’s unpack that—if even honest couples face this level of grilling over a temporary long-distance situation, how many legitimate families will get caught in the crossfire of this bureaucratic dragnet? Still, from a conservative angle, it’s hard to argue against ensuring every case is airtight when public trust and safety are on the line.
Beyond new applications, the administration dropped a bombshell in November, hinting that current green card holders might face reassessment. On Thanksgiving Day, USCIS Director Joseph Edlow doubled down, announcing a sweeping review of green cards for migrants from certain high-risk countries.
This isn’t just a tweak—it’s a full-on audit, and it’s got folks wondering if long-settled migrants will suddenly find their status in limbo. For conservatives tired of lax oversight, this feels like a necessary gut-check, even if it ruffles feathers.
Then there’s the diversity visa lottery, which once let up to 55,000 migrants enter annually—now it’s history, scrapped by Trump’s team. The move came after a Portuguese national, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, linked to deadly shootings at Brown University and MIT, was found to have entered via the 2017 lottery.
That tragedy was the final straw, proving to many on the right that random lotteries are a gamble America can’t afford. While critics cry foul over lost opportunities, supporters argue national security isn’t a game of chance.
Ultimately, these moves reflect a broader push to prioritize American safety and fiscal responsibility over open-door policies that too often get gamed. Yes, the road’s tougher for migrants now, but isn’t it fair to demand proof of genuine intent when so much is at stake?
For those cheering Trump’s stance, this isn’t about slamming doors—it’s about locking them until we know who’s knocking. The progressive crowd might clutch their pearls over “fairness,” but when fraud risks burdening our system, a little skepticism seems like common sense, not cruelty.
