Why US green card or visa holders face deportation

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Legal immigrants and green card holders in the U.S. can face deportation, particularly under the Trump administration's strict immigration policies, if they have a criminal record or are considered a threat to foreign policy.
The U.S. government is seeking to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student arrested earlier this month by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after participating in pro-Palestinian protests. Khalil, 30, a legal U.S. resident without a criminal record, was detained overnight in New Jersey before being transferred to an immigration facility in Jena, Louisiana.

Initially, ICE planned to revoke Khalil's student visa based on instructions from the U.S. State Department but discovered he was also a lawful permanent resident. Consequently, ICE pursued revoking his green card instead, and he currently awaits a deportation hearing in Louisiana, according to the AP.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Khalil's detention was related to President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at combating antisemitism on college campuses. Khalil's arrest has drawn criticism, with opponents arguing he is unfairly targeted, raising questions about protections for international students and green card holders.

Jaclyn Kelley-Widmer, an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School, told AP that lawful permanent residents generally have robust protections and "should be the most protected short of a U.S. citizen." However, Kelley-Widmer emphasized that protection is not absolute; green card holders can be deported for crimes, failure to update addresses with immigration authorities, or fraudulent marriages.

In Khalil's case, the U.S. government claims authority to revoke his residency, obtained through marriage to a U.S. citizen. His deportation is pursued under Section 237 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allowing removal if the Secretary of State determines a non-citizen's presence or activities could have "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences" for the U.S., as reported by the Wall Street Journal.

While officials have not explicitly detailed how Khalil threatens U.S. foreign policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials support deportation, accusing him of creating a hostile environment for Jewish students at Columbia University. Combatting antisemitism has been a prominent foreign policy objective for Trump's administration.

Khalil is not alone in facing deportation due to stricter immigration enforcement. Recently, multiple green card and visa holders have faced detention at U.S. entry points and prolonged stays in ICE facilities.

Rasha Alawieh, 34, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University's medical school, was detained last week at Boston Logan International Airport after returning from Lebanon.

Her H-1B work visa issued by the U.S. consulate in Lebanon was revoked, and she was deported.

The Department of Homeland Security claimed on X on March 17 that Alawieh had "traveled to Beirut, Lebanon, to attend the funeral of Hassan Nasrallah," the leader of Hezbollah. Alawieh maintained that she only joined crowds outside the stadium where the funeral occurred and did not attend the ceremony inside, AFP reported, citing an unnamed family member.

In another incident, Fabian Schmidt, a 34-year-old German electrical engineer and green card holder residing in New Hampshire, was detained on March 7 at Boston Logan Airport upon returning from Europe. His mother alleged that CBP officers "violently interrogated" Schmidt and pressured him into signing away his green card, according to Boston public radio WGBH. Schmidt was transferred to an ICE detention center in Rhode Island.

Immigration officials cited Schmidt's prior marijuana possession charge from 2015 in California, before the state legalized recreational cannabis, as justification for deportation. Schmidt, who moved from Germany to the U.S. in 2008 and received his green card in 2009, missed a related court hearing in California because the summons was sent to his former address after he moved to New Hampshire in 2022. Schmidt believed the charge had been dismissed following cannabis decriminalization.

His family emphasized that Schmidt had turned his life around, building a stable engineering career and raising an 8-year-old daughter with his American partner, both U.S. citizens, according to WGBH. However, CBP officials argued that his prior drug-related offense warranted deportation.

Hilton Beckham, Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs at CBP, refuted Schmidt's family’s allegations, telling Newsweek: "These claims [regarding Schmidt] are blatantly false with respect to CBP. When an individual is found with drug-related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action."

Strict immigration enforcement under Trump has intensified scrutiny of green card and visa holders, sparking concerns about due process. Legal experts warn that expansive interpretations of immigration laws could result in deportations for minor infractions or subjective policy reasons.

Civil rights organizations and immigration attorneys continue to challenge the administration's actions, arguing many legal immigrants face unfair targeting.

Kripa Upadhyay, a Seattle-based immigration attorney, cautioned earlier this week in the Times of India that foreign nationals, especially those renewing H-1B or F-1 visas, should "really need to think twice" about international travel.

Ashwin Sharma, a Florida immigration lawyer, described incidents reported to the newspaper, where elderly Indian green card holders were allegedly pressured by CBP agents into signing Form I-407, voluntarily relinquishing their residency. Sharma noted some CBP officers intimidate travelers with threats of detention or deportation, despite only an immigration judge legally having authority to revoke a green card.

Immigration attorneys also report increased extensive questioning and detention for green card holders, advising them to pursue U.S. citizenship promptly. Those awaiting citizenship approval are advised against international travel until obtaining their American passports.

Lucas Sielaff, 25, from eastern Germany, shared his trouble after taking a short trip out of the U.S.

Sielaff told Der Spiegel magazine earlier this month, as reported by DW, that was detained for two weeks and deported back to Germany after visiting his American fiancée in Nevada. The couple had briefly traveled to Mexico to obtain veterinary care for her dog.

Upon returning, Sielaff faced intense interrogation. He believed the border officer assumed he was illegally residing in the U.S. and attempting to circumvent the 90-day visitation limit by briefly exiting the country.