A controversial immigration policy change that alarmed attorneys and adjustment-of-status applicants appears to have been quietly withdrawn, according to immigration lawyer and social media commentator Kinda Melissa Velloza, who said federal officials have resumed processing green card applications under existing procedures.
In a video shared on Instagram, Velloza, who posts under the handle @immigrationlawyeru.s.a, claimed that immigration officers were recently instructed to disregard a prior memorandum that had raised concerns throughout the immigration bar.
“Everyone who is eligible can remain and apply for their green cards as usual,” Velloza said, describing the development as a significant reversal of a policy she characterized as both legally questionable and operationally disruptive.
The attorney said immigration practitioners learned that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers had been informed they no longer needed to ask a set of four questions that had reportedly been introduced as part of a new review process for adjustment-of-status applicants.
According to Velloza, officers were directed to continue adjudicating green card applications “as per normal” and without applying additional discretionary factors that had reportedly been contemplated under the earlier guidance.
The adjustment-of-status process allows certain eligible individuals already present in the United States to apply for lawful permanent resident status without leaving the country. Any policy that could require applicants to depart the U.S. before obtaining a green card would carry significant legal and practical consequences for families, employers, and immigration petitioners.
Velloza suggested the administration retreated from the policy because of concerns about its legal viability.
“I know for a fact it’s because they knew what they were attempting to do was super illegal and malicious,” she said.
She also pointed to a swift response from immigration attorneys and advocacy organizations, including the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), which she said mobilized legal strategies and educational efforts to challenge the guidance.
“We had backends from AILA,” Velloza said, adding that immigration lawyers were preparing legal challenges and coordinating responses to the memo. “We were called together in a Zoom to educate ourselves on how we were to protest this memo while at interviews.”
While federal immigration authorities have not publicly characterized the reported reversal in the same terms, immigration attorneys have closely monitored policy changes affecting adjustment-of-status adjudications amid ongoing legal battles over executive immigration actions.
For applicants currently seeking permanent residency, Velloza said the practical effect is that the disputed guidance is no longer being applied.
“The illegal memo is now history and everyone can proceed with filing their adjustment to status like this never happened,” she said.
What Happens Next?
Immigration attorneys are expected to continue monitoring USCIS guidance for any future attempts to modify adjustment-of-status procedures through administrative policy changes.
Legal observers note that even when controversial immigration directives are withdrawn, similar proposals can reappear in revised forms, potentially triggering renewed litigation. Immigration practitioners will likely remain vigilant for formal policy memoranda, field guidance updates, or regulatory changes that could affect eligibility standards or processing requirements.
For now, attorneys report that adjustment-of-status applications are continuing under longstanding procedures, offering temporary certainty to applicants navigating the green card process.
Reflecting on the reversal, Velloza credited both legal advocacy and faith for the outcome.
“Talk about some good prayers and legal warriors,” she said. “We are back up guys.”
