WASHINGTON, March 27 (UPI) -- The U.S. immigration service is seeking more "logical, common sense" rules for judging green card applicants tied to attempted overthrow of foreign dictators.
In a decision that could affect thousands of pending applications for permanent U.S. residence, the agency said it would temporarily stop automatically denying green cards to such refugees and other legal immigrants, The Washington Post reported.
Jonathan Scharfen, deputy director of U.S. Citizenship and bc-us-greencardImmigration Services, told the Post the cases of hundreds of others denied green cards since December will also be re-examined. All the affected applicants are living in the United States under refugee or other visa provisions or political asylum.
Most applications involve people linked to groups defined as "undesignated terrorist organizations" because they took armed action against a foreign government. But, that also includes U.S. allies that fought in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Post said.
