Trump Administration Adds Scrutiny to Green Card Applications for Citizen Spouses

The Trump administration has implemented policy changes that add scrutiny to green card applications filed by spouses of U.S. citizens, Npr reported. These include pausing immigrant visas for people from 75 countries, directing more interviews during the application process, and widening deportation targets.

Npr reported that a federal judge ruled the visa pause for applicants from over 70 countries unlawful. The pause remains in effect for some cases, including that of a green card holder married to a U.S. Army member whose citizenship application has not advanced.

USCIS officers now conduct additional interviews, Npr reported. A memo last month directed officers to consider whether an applicant had returned to their home country to file for a green card. President Trump also asked financial institutions to review bank accounts of people in the U.S.

Without permanent status. Ashley DeAzevedo, executive director of American Families United, said membership in the group has grown over the last year. "Life has become a lot more difficult for Americans who are married to somebody who is not born in this country," she said.

Sharvari Dalal-Dheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association, noted that spouses of U.S. citizens have long held a privileged status under the law. They face no immigrant quotas and do not need to maintain prior legal status to adjust their status.

Homeland Security Department data showed that 343,000 people received green cards through spouses in 2024, about a quarter of all approvals. The annual total has ranged between 200,000 and 340,000 for about a decade. In the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, 167,401 immediate family relative petitions and 8,612 fiancé petitions were approved.