U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) warned green-card holders that their legal immigration status can be revoked if they engage in criminal activity, the agency announced this week.
"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 abused. In addition to immigration removal proceedings, lawful permanent residents presenting at a U.S. port of entry with previous criminal convictions may be subject to mandatory detention," the CBP posted on X on Tuesday.
According to estimates by the Office of Homeland Security Statistic, 12.8 million green-card holders were residing in the U.S. as of Jan. 1, 2024. The Trump administration vowed to crack down on immigration violations, which includes those individuals who may have abused the visa system.
In June, the U.S. State Department widened its review of all foreign nationals applying for student visas by instructing diplomats to increase scrutiny of social media accounts.
The administration has made several high-profile arrests of visa holders since the beginning of the year.
Pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil was apprehended at his New York residence in March after the administration accused him of participating in the violent anti-Israel protests at Columbia last spring and distributing anti-Israel propaganda. His arrest sparked protests in April when students chained themselves to the gates of St. Paul's Chapel on the university grounds. Khalil was released from a federal detention center last week.
Amelia Wilson, assistant professor at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law and director of the Immigration Justice Clinic, told Newsweek that laws are in place to protect green-card holders from rapid deportation.
"The law contained within the Immigration and Nationality Act is clear," Wilson said. "The Department of Homeland Security cannot unilaterally 'revoke' a permanent resident's status. 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."
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.