Green Cards Are Not Untouchable: What Lawful Permanent Residents Need to Know Right Now

A green card—formally known as lawful permanent resident (LPR) status—has long been considered one of the most secure immigration statuses available in the United States, short of citizenship. It grants the right to live and work permanently in this country, to travel abroad and return, and to eventually apply for naturalization. For most green card holders, the idea of losing that status may have seemed remote.

That assumption deserves a second look. The Trump administration has established a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unit dedicated to revetting thousands of lawful permanent residents across the country. According to reporting by The New York Times, more than 3,000 green card holders have already been revetted, more than 500 are currently under active review, and more than 50 are now at risk of deportation. The stated goal is to identify individuals who obtained their green cards through fraud or who pose national security threats. Of those reviewed so far, internal government figures indicate that approximately 2 percent have been deemed potentially deportable.

This policy change is a significant shift. The administration is broadening its immigration enforcement focus beyond undocumented individuals to those who have already obtained lawful status. If you hold a green card or have a family member who does, this is a critical moment to understand your rights, your exposure, and what steps you can take to protect yourself.

How Can a Green Card Be Revoked?

Lawful permanent resident status is not unconditional. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the government can pursue removal of a green card holder on a number of grounds, including:

• Fraud or misrepresentation – Making a material false statement or concealing a material fact in connection with an immigration application is a deportable offense. Fraud or misrepresentation is the basis for revocation that the current DHS unit appears to be focusing on most heavily.
• Criminal convictions – Certain criminal convictions, including aggravated felonies, crimes involving moral turpitude, controlled substance offenses, domestic violence, and firearms offenses, can render a green card holder deportable. Even older convictions, including those resolved by plea, may be counted.
• National security or foreign policy grounds – The Secretary of State retains authority to revoke status when an individual’s activities are found to have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences. Recent enforcement actions targeting Iranian nationals have relied in part on this authority.
• Abandonment of residence – Extended absences from the United States, particularly those exceeding one year without a reentry permit, can be construed as abandonment of LPR status.
• Public charge – The administration has proposed rules that expand the public charge grounds, including consideration of health conditions and financial resources. These rules may affect pending and future green card applications.

It is important to understand that the government must initiate formal removal proceedings in immigration court to actually deport a lawful permanent resident. Only an immigration judge—not DHS or USCIS acting alone—can strip an individual of LPR status. This procedural protection remains in place, meaning that green card holders facing scrutiny have the right to appear before a judge and contest any charges against them.

What Is the New DHS Revetting Unit Doing?

The new unit is conducting a systematic review of green card holders’ immigration histories, looking for indicators of potential fraud at the time the green card was obtained, criminal history that may have been overlooked or undisclosed, and other factors that could form the basis of a removal charge. The scale of the effort (thousands of cases already reviewed, hundreds under active scrutiny) suggests this is not a targeted operation aimed at a narrow group, but a broader programmatic initiative.

This new enforcement priority follows other steps the administration has taken to scrutinize lawful immigration status more aggressively. DHS guidance has instructed officers to deny green cards to applicants with certain political speech and social media histories. The administration has also moved to revoke green cards and visas of certain nationals, including Iranian nationals, on national security grounds, and has pursued the removal of refugees who entered during the prior administration.

What Green Card Holders Should Do Now

The most important thing a lawful permanent resident can do in the current environment is to be proactive. Do not wait for a notice to appear in your mailbox before speaking with an attorney. Consider the following steps:

• Review your immigration history. Think carefully about everything that was represented in your green card application and any prior visa applications. If there were any omissions, even unintentional ones, this is the time to discuss them with an attorney.
• Address any criminal history. If you have any arrests, charges, or convictions on your record, including matters resolved years ago, consult an immigration attorney to assess whether those records present a current deportation risk.
• Be thoughtful about travel. Reentering the United States after international travel can trigger additional scrutiny at the port of entry. Discuss any planned trips with an attorney, particularly if there are any unresolved issues in your immigration history.
• Consider applying for citizenship. If you are eligible to naturalize, this is a strong time to do so. U.S. citizens are not subject to removal proceedings and cannot lose their status through the mechanisms currently being used against green card holders.
• Know your rights. If you receive any communication from USCIS, ICE, or DHS, or if immigration authorities contact you, do not respond without first speaking to an immigration attorney. You have the right to counsel in immigration proceedings.

A Note on Naturalization

For green card holders who have held LPR status for five years (or three years if married to a U.S. citizen) and meet the other requirements for naturalization, the current environment provides a compelling reason to move forward with a citizenship application. United States citizenship is a permanent, constitutionally protected status that places an individual entirely outside the reach of removal proceedings. While USCIS processing times have lengthened significantly under the current administration, filing a naturalization application is still a meaningful step toward full legal security.

How Litwin Smith Can Help

At Litwin Smith, we have advised clients on the full range of immigration matters for decades. The current landscape is one of the most dynamic and consequential we have seen for lawful permanent residents. Our attorneys are available to conduct a comprehensive review of your immigration history, assess any potential vulnerabilities, and advise you on the best path forward; whether that means addressing a specific risk, pursuing naturalization, or simply understanding where you stand.

If you have questions about your green card status or want to schedule a consultation, please contact our office: