Federal immigration authorities have issued a stark warning to green card holders, stating that those with criminal histories or violations of immigration law risk losing their permanent residency and being deported. The announcement, shared publicly by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), signals an escalation in enforcement under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
"Attention Green Card Holders: Having a criminal history does not make you an upstanding lawful permanent resident," CBP posted on X. "Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right." The agency added that individuals arriving at U.S. ports of entry with prior convictions may be detained ahead of formal removal proceedings.
The notice follows a series of similar statements from federal agencies warning that legal status can be revoked if immigrants break laws, support terrorism, or overstay their permitted visit. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) posted: "Green cards and visas will be revoked if an alien breaks the law, supports terrorism, overstays their permitted visit time, performs illegal work, or anything else that violates the terms on which we granted them this privilege or compromises the safety of our fellow Americans."
There are 12.8 million lawful permanent residents in the United States as of January 1, 2024, according to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics.
Amelia Wilson, assistant professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and director of the Immigration Justice Clinic, told Newsweek that revocation of green cards is not unilateral and requires due process. "The Department of Homeland Security cannot unilaterally 'revoke' a permanent resident's status," Wilson said. "There is a process the agency must follow, including serving the individual with a 'Notice of Intent to Rescind,' at which time that individual is entitled to a hearing before an immigration judge."
Wilson also noted that during these proceedings, the burden is on the government to prove "by clear, unequivocal, and convincing evidence" that an individual's status should be rescinded. "At that point it is the immigration judge-and only the immigration judge-who can effectively strip an individual of their green card," she said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the administration's hardline stance, posting on X in March: "We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported."
