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Green card holders warned: Behave like guests in US or face deportation

In a series of posts on X, the USCIS said permanent residency is a "privilege" that could be revoked if immigrants do not abide by American "laws and values"

Donald Trump, Trump

US President Donald Trump speaks as he welcomes the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles NFL football team to the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 28, 2025, in Washington.(Photo: PTI)

Surbhi Gloria Singh New Delhi

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For many immigrants, a green card has long been seen as the gateway to the American dream — the right to live and work permanently in the United States. Now, thousands of green card holders, including Indians, are living in fear of deportation amid President Donald Trump’s tougher immigration measures.
 
In a series of posts on X, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said permanent residency is a “privilege” that could be revoked if immigrants do not abide by American “laws and values”.
 
“Green cards and visas are a privilege reserved for those who make the US better, not those who seek to destroy it from the inside,” USCIS said on May 7, 2025. 
 
 
Two days earlier, the department had posted, “Having a visa or green card is a privilege that can be taken away. Our rigorous security vetting does not end once you've been granted access to the US. If you come to our country and break the law, there will be consequences, and you will lose your privileges.”
 
USCIS added that anyone advocating violence, supporting terrorist activities, or encouraging others to do so would no longer be eligible to stay in the country.
 
“Coming to America and receiving a visa or green card is a privilege. Our laws and values must be respected,” it said.
 
Permanent residents face new uncertainties
 
Officials said the department, alongside the Department of Homeland Security, is now continuously vetting green card holders even after they have received their status.
 
"This vigilance is essential to making America safe again. Break the laws and you will lose your green card or visa privilege," USCIS said.
 
The warning follows the launch of a new policy called "Catch-And-Revoke", under which legal residents found breaking laws could immediately lose their immigration status.
 
Announcing the move, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “Whenever the government catches non-US citizens breaking our laws, we will take action to revoke their status. The era of abusing our nation's generosity is over.”
 
Previously, green card holders could challenge the cancellation of their residency or rectify technical violations. Under the new approach, visa revocations could become immediate and harder to contest.
 
David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, criticised the policy.
 
“Wealthy, skilled people with other options will not settle in a country where their lives can be ruined for a speeding ticket or operating an illegal lemonade stand,” Bier said in a post on X.
 
Indian immigrants face an even harder road
 
For Indian immigrants, the pathway to permanent residency has already been long and uncertain. Due to per-country limits, Indian nationals face waiting times of up to 50 years for employment-based green cards.
 
According to data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), more than 1.2 million Indians are currently waiting for employment-based green cards. This group of highly-skilled professionals and their dependents now face a potentially decades-long wait to obtain permanent residency based on the existing backlog.
 
Ajay Sharma, an immigration consultant and the founder of Abhinav Immigration Services, told Business Standard, “Every year, the US sets a limit on how many green cards it can give out, and these limits are set by laws. These quotas decide how many green cards can be issued each year, and they apply to everyone — no matter where you’re from or what visa you’re on.
 
“Here’s the thing: The US can only issue up to 675,000 green cards a year. But as of February 2024, there were a whopping 34.7 million people waiting in line for one. This means some people might end up waiting nearly 50 years. It’s a long, tough wait, and it shows just how much patience and determination you need to see this process through,” he said.
 
Beyond the personal strain, the backlog creates broader risks for US industries that depend on foreign talent. Long wait-times and immigration uncertainty can make it harder for American companies to retain highly-skilled workers, affecting sectors that rely on consistent access to global expertise.
 
Sharma added that the quota was not the only challenge. “There’s another big hurdle: you need your employer’s support to apply for a green card. The process starts with the employer you’re working for on your H-1B visa. They have to try and find a US citizen or green card holder to fill the job first. If they can’t, then they can nominate you for a green card.
 
“Another worry is that the rules about whether your spouse can work keep changing, depending on who’s in power. This uncertainty makes things even tougher. Then there’s the issue of kids. They’re only considered dependents until they turn 21, so families are under pressure as they wait for their green cards,” he explained.
 
Indian workers often spend years in immigration limbo, relying on their work visa status to stay in the country. Despite living and working in the US for years, many face the risk of having to leave if they are laid off or have difficulties maintaining H-1B visa status.
 
What the data shows
 
The USCIS figures, analysed by the National Foundation for American Policy, reflect approved Form I-140s (Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker) as of November 2, 2023. The backlog covers applicants waiting in the first, second, and third employment-based green card categories:
 
1st Preference (EB-1 Extraordinary Ability): 51,249 primary applicants and 92,248 dependents, totalling 143,497
2nd Preference (EB-2 Advanced Degree): 419,392 primary applicants and 419,392 dependents, totalling 838,784
3rd Preference (EB-3 Skilled Workers and Professionals): 138,581 primary applicants and 138,581 dependents, totalling 277,162
 
In total, 609,222 primary applicants and 650,221 dependents are waiting, bringing the number to 1,259,443.

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First Published: May 08 2025 | 3:06 PM IST

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