US warns green card holders with criminal records risk deportation

By : Guardian Nigeria

Date: 9 July 2025 1:05pm WAT

Protesters carry US national flags during a march from Chater Garden to the US Consulate in Hong Kong on September 8, 2019. - Riot police on September 8 chased groups of hardcore protesters who blocked roads, vandalised nearby subway stations and set makeshift barricades on fire as the evening set in, while an earlier main daytime rally saw pro-democracy activists marching to the United States consulate in Hong Kong in a bid to ramp up international pressure on Beijing following three months of huge and sometimes violent protests. (Photo by VIVEK PRAKASH / AFP)

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has cautioned lawful permanent residents that Green Cards may be revoked and holders removed from the country if they have prior criminal convictions.

In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the agency reiterated that permanent residency is a privilege, not a right, and violations of U.S. laws can lead to immigration consequences, including deportation.

“Attention Green Card Holders: Having a criminal history does not make you an upstanding lawful permanent resident,” CBP stated.
The agency emphasized that U.S. law gives the government authority to revoke residency status where the law is “broken and abused.”

It also warned that lawful permanent residents arriving at U.S. ports of entry with previous criminal convictions could face mandatory detention in addition to immigration removal proceedings.

CBP said its actions are consistent with its core mission of protecting the American people, securing national borders, and upholding immigration laws.