U. S. Immigration Changes: What's Happening to Legal Pathways?

In the first 11 months of the Trump presidency, over 1. 6 million immigrants lost their legal status in the U. S. This number is huge and includes people who came to the country through various legal programs like visas, asylum, and temporary protected status. It's like the entire population of Philadelphia losing their legal rights. The Trump administration is making big changes to immigration rules. They are ending programs that allowed people to stay in the U. S. legally. Immigration advocates say this is the largest effort ever to take away deportation protections for legal immigrants. They also think the actual number of people affected is even higher. Many of these immigrants have been in the U. S. for years. Now, they are worried about what will happen if their immigration cases don't get processed quickly. The administration is encouraging them to leave the country as their legal status is being revoked.The administration says they are doing this to save money and protect the country. They argue that having a visa is a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked if someone is deemed a threat. One of the programs that was ended is the diversity visa lottery. The administration says this is to protect the country, but immigration advocates argue that it's making more people deportable. The administration has also ended temporary protected status (TPS) for 10 countries. TPS is a program that protects people from countries affected by war, natural disasters, or other unsafe conditions. The administration says these programs are only temporary, but advocates argue that the conditions in these countries haven't improved. There are lawsuits challenging these changes, and some people may still be able to apply for other forms of protection. But for now, many immigrants are facing uncertainty and fear.