Trump govt reviews 2,900 Green Cards, 50 permanent US residents face possible deportation

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched a fresh review of thousands of Green Card holders across the country under the Trump administration, with at least 50 lawful permanent residents now facing possible deportation, as per reports.

As of May 7, nearly 2,900 Green Card cases had either been reviewed or were still under examination. Around 80 per cent of those cases reportedly required “no further action”, while more than 500 cases remain under active review.

The operation is reportedly being carried out by a newly active unit within the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) known as the Tactical Operations Division. According to documents cited by the NYT, the division includes specialised teams focused on lawful permanent resident (LPR) operations, denaturalisation and refugee re-vetting.

As per reports, the division director Daniel Andrade referred to the initiative as an “LPR removal apparatus”. Around 40 immigration officers are believed to be working on the reviews.

Officials are reportedly examining criminal records and old immigration applications to identify possible fraud, criminal activity or other grounds that could make Green Card holders deportable. Sources familiar with the matter told the publication that tens of thousands of additional permanent residents may also be flagged for future review.

As per reports, USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler defended the move, saying that the agency was restructuring to better “safeguard America” and strengthen immigration screening procedures. Kahler added that some of the reviewed cases involve arrests or convictions linked to offences such as sexual assault, domestic violence, drunk driving and drug-related crimes. He also alleged that some individuals had ties to groups accused of illegally obtaining sensitive technology and information for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, while others were suspected of lying during their permanent residency applications.

However, critics have questioned whether the large-scale review is an efficient use of agency resources, especially since only a small percentage of reviewed cases have resulted in possible deportation proceedings.

As per reports, the former USCIS official Sarah Pierce argued that the agency may be diverting resources away from its growing immigration backlog. USCIS currently has more than 11 million pending immigration applications, with the backlog having nearly doubled since 2019.

Under US law, Green Card holders can lose their permanent resident status for reasons including serious criminal convictions or immigration fraud. Crimes such as murder or drug trafficking can trigger deportation proceedings, though not all offences automatically lead to removal. In most cases, permanent residents are entitled to a hearing before an immigration judge before any deportation order is issued, as per reports.

The initiative is part of the Trump administration’s broader immigration crackdown, which has increasingly expanded beyond undocumented migrants to include refugees, permanent residents and even some naturalised US citizens, raising concerns among immigrant communities about the security of their legal status.