❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal authorities have warned that green card holders with criminal records face detention and deportation for violating immigration laws.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and immigrants and their advocates.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The warning was issued recently on X (formerly Twitter), with enforcement actions occurring across the United States.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right,” Customs and Border Protection confirmed on X.
🎯IMPACT: Green card holders with criminal histories or those accused of supporting extremist activities face heightened scrutiny, detention, and potential deportation.
Federal immigration officials are warning migrants with lawful permanent resident status that they still face deportation if they have criminal records. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) says green card holders found to be violating criminal law or immigration law face revocation of their legal residency and deportation.
CBP emphasized the seriousness of this issue in a recent statement on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and abused.”
The agency also warned that lawful permanent residents arriving at U.S. ports of entry who have criminal convictions may be detained and could undergo removal proceedings. This notice aligns with broader enforcement policies under the Trump administration, prioritizing tougher immigration measures, including much stronger border control, removing illegals, and heightened scrutiny of those with legal status.
Amelia Wilson, assistant professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and director of the Immigration Justice Clinic, complains that green cards should not be taken away without due process. “The Department of Homeland Security cannot unilaterally ‘revoke’ a permanent resident’s status,“ Wilson insists. “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.“
In a separate post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated the administration’s stance on national security concerns tied to immigration enforcement, stating: “We will be revoking the visas and/or green cards of Hamas supporters in America so they can be deported.”
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) echoed this approach, warning that permanent residents and visa holders could lose their immigration privileges if they are found to have committed crimes, supported terrorism, or engaged in activities threatening public safety.
These moves come as the Trump administration is also pushing to denaturalize immigrants who have acquired U.S. citizenship, if they are found to have lied during the naturalization process or committed crimes, among other transgressions.
The Trump administration has also launched online campaigns encouraging illegal immigrants to self-deport and promoting arrests of individuals with criminal histories as part of a broader crackdown.
Attention Green Card Holders: Having a criminal history does not make you an upstanding lawful permanent resident. Possessing a green card is a privilege, not a right. Under our nation’s laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and…
— CBP (@CBP) July 8, 2025
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