• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Marco Rubio denies targeting Indian immigrants specifically.
  2. He said new US Green Card policy applies to all globally.
  3. Policy aims to streamline system, fix Green Card abuses.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday clarified that the new immigration policy is not targetted at any specific country, including India, but will apply equally to all applicants. His statement comes after the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a policy, requiring many immigrants already living legally in the country to leave and apply for permanent residency (Green Card) from their home countries.

Rubio Says Green Card Rule Applies To All

The move came as a shock, especially for Indian nationals, who form a large share of the immigrant population in the US. Speaking to NDTV, Marco said the move is part of a global effort to streamline and improve the US’ immigration system. He emphasised the decision reflects a broader situation the US is dealing with, and not a country-specific move.

Rubio said, “Well, it's not about India. It's about the whole world. The United States has taken a decision that it needs to streamline and improve our system of immigration. The fact of the matter is, and I think every country would understand it, again, this is not about India. This is a global situation that we're dealing with. Our country, unfortunately, faced a very serious migratory crisis a few years ago.”

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What Led To The Action?

He further highlighted that there were instances of misuse of the Green Card system, which prompted the need for reforms. Rubio stated that while such changes may cause temporary disruptions or inconvenience, they are necessary to fix and strengthen the immigration system.

He added, “We saw abuses of the green card system in many cases as well. And so, we decided that we were going to reform it. Any time you reform a system, there's going to be some disruptions. There's going to be some hiccups. There's going to be some inconvenience.”

What Does The New Policy Say?

According to the official release, people seeking a change of immigration status will have to complete the process through consular processing outside the United States via the Department of State. The officers will review each case individually before making a decision. The agency noted that the goal is to follow long-standing immigration laws more strictly and reduce the use of what it is called “loopholes” in the system.

A USCIS spokesperson, Zach Kahler said the move will help improve system transparency and reduce cases of people remaining in the US without authorisation after being denied residency. He said, “We’re returning to the original intent of the law to ensure aliens navigate our nation’s immigration system properly. From now on, an alien who is in the US temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances.”

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