Trump's Immigration Push Leaves Married Couples in Limbo

The Trump administration's efforts to reduce legal immigration have increasingly affected spouses of U.S. citizens, a group that has traditionally received special treatment under U.S. immigration law.

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Since President Donald Trump returned to office last year, the administration has introduced a series of immigration measures, including pausing immigrant visas for people from dozens of countries, expanding scrutiny during green-card interviews and broadening deportation enforcement. Immigration lawyers and advocacy groups say these changes have also reached people seeking permanent residency through marriage.

Broader Enforcement Reaches Families

According to advocates, some non-U.S. citizen spouses have been separated from their American partners, while others have become reluctant to continue with immigration applications because they fear detention or deportation.

Ashley DeAzevedo, executive director of American Families United, said the organisation has seen a sharp increase in requests for assistance over the past year. She said some members had chosen to leave the United States voluntarily, while others reported that their spouses had been detained during the immigration process.

Special Status Under Pressure

Immigration attorneys note that spouses of U.S. citizens have historically occupied a privileged position under immigration law. Unlike many other immigrant categories, they are not subject to annual visa caps and have generally benefited from more flexible adjustment-of-status rules.

Sharvari Dalal-Dheini of the American Immigration Lawyers Association said those legal protections remain in place, but argued that the current administration is applying immigration enforcement to spouses in much the same way as other non-citizens.

The administration rejects suggestions that the policy represents a departure from the law. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said all applicants seeking immigration benefits must undergo rigorous screening and vetting.

USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler said filing or receiving approval of a family-based petition does not grant legal immigration status or protect someone from enforcement action. He added that individuals who entered the country unlawfully or overstayed their visas may still face deportation proceedings.

Family Immigration Remains a Major Pathway

Family sponsorship continues to account for a significant share of U.S. immigration approvals.

Homeland Security Department data from 2024 show that about 343,000 people obtained green cards through marriage, representing roughly one-quarter of all permanent residency approvals. When parents and children sponsored by immediate family members are included, family-based immigration accounts for nearly half of all green cards issued.

Average processing times have remained largely unchanged, at around 13 months for family petitions and seven months for fiancé petitions. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2026, authorities approved more than 167,000 immediate family petitions and over 8,600 fiancé petitions.

Delays and Uncertainty

Advocates say statistics do not fully capture the impact of recent policies on affected families.

Some spouses from countries subject to U.S. travel restrictions have experienced lengthy delays in citizenship and immigration applications. One permanent resident, identified only as E., said her pending citizenship application has disrupted her family's planned military relocation to Germany, creating uncertainty for her husband, who serves in the U.S. Army, and their two American-born children.

Lawyers also report increased scrutiny of marriage-based applications, including more interviews and additional requests for documentation. They say these changes have discouraged some families from pursuing immigration benefits.

California immigration attorney Eric Welsh said many applicants are now being asked to provide broader evidence, including proof of good moral character, while emphasising that marriage to a U.S. citizen does not automatically guarantee permanent residency or citizenship.

Advocates argue that the combination of stricter enforcement, longer reviews and uncertainty has made some couples hesitant to engage with the immigration system, fearing possible detention or other immigration consequences.

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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 7 July 2026