Trump administration reverses policy shielding spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation

The Trump administration has ended a longstanding practice that protected spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation proceedings. USCIS spokesman Zach Kahler told NPR on July 6 that pending spousal immigration petitions no longer provide deportation protection. The shift includes visa pauses for 75 countries and stricter interview requirements. About 1.4 million immigrants with marriage-based petitions now face removal risk.