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The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services San Jose field office in Santa Clara, Calif., is pictured in a file photo. (hapabapa / iStock)
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services recently announced that immigrants applying for a green card must do so from outside the U.S.
In what many immigration lawyers say is a dramatic break from longstanding case law and a misreading of the statutes governing green cards, USCIS is now requiring immigrants to apply from the consulate in their home countries.
In a policy memo, USCIS officials wrote that adjustment of status, the process by which immigrants inside the U.S. upgrade their non-permanent status to permanent, is an extraordinary form of relief not meant to be granted frequently.
The memo reads: “...adjustment of status is an extraordinary matter of discretion and administrative grace not designed to supersede the regular consular processing of immigrant visas.”
More context:
Naiara Testai, a partner at Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym, has been an immigration attorney for 10 years. She said applying for green cards from within the U.S. has been the norm for decades.
“This (change) is upending decades of statutory interpretation, of case law, of practice,” Testai said. “It’s just another way that this administration is going against legal immigration. They don’t want people to be able to stay in the United States lawfully, and they’re trying every path possible to prevent people from staying here with their families.”
The term “green card” refers to the identification card issued by USCIS to immigrants granted lawful permanent resident status. As of Jan. 1, 2024, there were 12.8 million green card holders in the U.S., and millions of immigrants apply for LPR status each year. In fiscal year 2023, USCIS issued nearly 1.2 million green cards.
Shannon Shepherd is a partner at Immigration Lawyers, LLP, and has been a practicing immigration lawyer since 2003. She said hundreds of thousands of applicants could now be at risk.
“In 2024, there were about half a million green cards granted, and the number rose in 2025,” Shepherd said. “Everyone is very confused by the policy. They’re very panicked, they’re worried about being subject to deportation even though they were trying to follow the law.”
Testai said the memo has created widespread confusion as firms scramble to determine which clients could be affected.
“(It’s difficult for) clients who already had their applications in, who understood the law to be a certain way at the time they applied, and they paid their fees,” Testai said, “The rules are just being changed halfway through. It’s really unfair, and it’s creating a lot of uncertainty.”
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Sheffield Garden Walk is one of Chicago's oldest. (Courtesy of Special Events Management)
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After a long winter’s hibernation, Chicago comes alive in the summer, and that goes for its landscapes too. Gardens in every shape, size and style are bursting with blooms and color — from container gardens on balconies to large-scale back yard retreats.
Admire the creativity of the region’s green thumbs and discover inspiration on garden walks, hosted by neighborhood associations and garden clubs across the area.
Click on individual listings for hours, restrictions and admission fees, if applicable.
June events:
Old Town Art Fair & Garden Walk, June 13-14: The long-running Old Town Art Fair also includes a garden walk, with more than 60 stops. Be sure to pick up a map and venture into the neighborhood.
Irving Park Garden & Art Walk, June 13 (rain date June 14): This tour blends gardens with neighborhood points of interest and also incorporates works by local artists.
Edgebrook Garden Walk, June 13: This community-focused event will showcase gardens in Old Edgebrook.
Historic Pullman Garden Walk, June 27: Artists from Urban Sketchers Chicago will be drawing and painting in the gardens. The event also features walking tours and a plant sale.
North Center Garden Walk, June 28: Celebrating its 20th year, this walk is also known for its live music. Trolley rides are available to help folks get from garden to garden.
Park Ridge Garden Walk, June 28: Gardeners will host artists on site, including woodworkers, painters, ceramicists and more.
Oak Park and River Forest Garden Walk, June 28: Public and private gardens are both represented on this tour.
Evanston Garden Walk, June 28: Organizers recommend biking between locations. Gardens represent various styles, from shade gardening to prairie.
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Matthew McCarthy and Maxine Walters, “The Most High–a serious t’ing,” 2026. Installation view, “Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón,” MCA Chicago, April 14-Sept. 20, 2026. (Michael Tropea / MCA Chicago)
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The Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a new exhibition tracing the visual, political and spiritual origins of popular Caribbean music. Art installations are designed to immerse visitors in sound and movement.
“I really wanted to do a club,” curator Carla Acevedo-Yates said. “My dream was to do a club at the museum. This was the closest I got to the club.”
“Dancing the Revolution: From Dancehall to Reggaetón” transforms the gallery into a participatory space filled with speakers, video works, photography and interactive installations that depict the evolution and spirit of dance culture.
“Both dancehall and reggaeton are musical genres that come from working-class communities, marginalized communities,” Acevedo-Yates said. “They form part of a global musical project that is really for everyone to enjoy.”
The exhibition was inspired by protests that erupted in Puerto Rico in the summer of 2019, which Acevedo-Yates said brought to light the relationship between music, politics and collective expression.
“It’s about how we hold these different contradictions, from joy to grief, celebration and struggle and resistance — they’re not incompatible,” Acevedo-Yates said. “We can do a reggaeton protest in the streets to demand the ousting of a governor and we also go to a party and dance. Those things, I think, come together in a really potent way.”
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More From WTTW News:
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Back in the Day: June 1, 1991 - Sony vs. Nintendo Rivalry Heats Up Chicago
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Thirty-five years ago, Chicago hosted the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the world’s largest and most prestigious technology trade convention. The big headline entering the festival was the burgeoning video game industry, with tech giant Sony announcing it was entering the market in a partnership with Nintendo. Sony’s proposed system, dubbed the “Play Station,” would not only play Nintendo game cartridges but also games on CDs. The following day, on June 1, 1991, Nintendo gave a shock announcement that it would break its partnership with Sony and instead collaborate with rival Philips N.V., the Dutch electronics company. Nintendo, which feared that its contract with Sony
was unfavorable and the electronics company would force its way into video game domination, changed the course of video game history with this move. Sony execs were furious and doubled down on their plans for video game success, which eventually resulted in the PlayStation console that debuted in 1994.
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This Week’s Civic Events and Meetings
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Every Monday, WTTW News highlights the best ways to get involved with local government.
WTTW’s "Firsthand: Democracy" – Community Conversation
On Wednesday at 6 p.m., join WTTW and Braver Angels for this screening and discussion event centered on Firsthand: Democracy, the acclaimed docuseries produced by WTTW. During this event, we will screen the episode featuring Maryanne Colter, Illinois state coordinator for Braver Angels.
Following the screening, Firsthand: Democracy’s co-executive producer Dan Protess will moderate a conversation featuring Maryanne Colter; Aubrey Barnett, 7th grade English Language Arts teacher at Marshall Gifted Academy, Rockford Public Schools; and Lindsay Tobias, teacher and coordinator, The Integrated Global Studies School at New Trier High School. The conversation will focus on how to foster dialogue across partisan lines.
This event is open to the public, and offers a unique opportunity to engage with residents and thought leaders as they reflect on ways to strengthen our democracy. RSVP here.
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Who is your favorite actor or actress from Chicago? Tell us
why
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Email DailyChicagoan@wttw.com with your responses and your answers might be published.
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5:30 PM | 10:00 PM
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Want more WTTW News content? Follow WTTW on Instagram to check in with us daily, go behind-the-scenes, and more.
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Newsletter Producer: Josh Terry
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