国土安全部似乎在淡化上周发布的一项政策指令的影响，该指令引发了移民倡导者和律师的担忧。
本月早些时候，美国公民和移民服务局发布了一项全面的政策指令，要求大多数居住在美国的临时签证持有者和人道主义假释犯返回自己的国家申请并完成绿卡申请。
倡导者表示，该机构提出的新指令是一项总括政策，将影响任何在美国申请绿卡的外国公民。
但周五，国土安全部表示，新政策“将导致一些不值得酌情受益的外国人最终向海外的国务院而不是美国移民局申请。”
该机构还表示，该政策“不会阻止任何合法、正当合格的外国人获得绿卡。”
该机构表示，现有的绿卡持有者不会受到影响，可以继续在美国居住并自由旅行。
作为特朗普政府移民镇压的一部分，美国公民和移民服务局于5月22日发布的政策备忘录指示机构官员将美国的“身份调整”申请视为“特殊形式的救济”。
最初的声明和备忘录引起了倡导者和移民律师的担忧，他们说新政策可能会影响成千上万持有临时工作签证、正在美国境内寻求永久居留权的人。
DHS says most immigrants won’t need to leave US to obtain green card
The Department of Homeland Security appears to be downplaying the impact of apolicy directiveissued last week that prompted concerns among immigrant advocates and lawyers.
Earlier this month, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issueda sweeping policy directive requiring most temporary visa holders and humanitarian parolees living in the U.S. to return to their home countries to apply for and complete theirgreen cardapplications.
Advocates said the new directive, which was presented by the agency as a blanket policy, would affect any foreign national with a pending U.S.-filed green card application.
But on Friday, the Department of Homeland Security said the new policy "will result in some aliens who do not merit the discretionary benefit ultimately applying with the Department of State overseas rather than USCIS in the United States."
The agency also said the policy "will notprevent any alien from obtaining a green card who legitimately and properly qualify."
Existing green card holders will not be impacted and can continue to reside in the U.S. and travel freely, the agency said.
The policy memo issued May 22by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as part of the Trump administration'simmigration crackdowninstructed agency officers to treat U.S.-based "adjustment of status" applications as an "extraordinary form of relief."
The initial statement and memo prompted concerns from advocates and immigration lawyers who said the new policy could impact hundreds of thousands of people with temporary work visas who are pursuing permanent residency from within the U.S.
