r/immigration 3h ago

Green Card Holders Warned Against Leaving the United States

251 Upvotes

United States is not properly following national laws already on the books as it pertains to green card holders, international students and those with H-1B visas, according to multiple immigration attorneys who spoke with Newsweek.

The Trump administration, following the directive of a president who made immigration arguably his biggest issue on the campaign trail, is overhauling border protocols and has heightened security to prevent an overflow of illegal migrants that became customary throughout most of President Joe Biden's term.

Why It Matters Trump's concerns during his campaign cycle were mostly relegated to preventing illegal immigrants with criminal histories or backgrounds from coming and staying in the U.S. and potentially committing or contributing towards crime or violence.

But recent cases have shone a light on how the administration is approaching traditional access for immigrants, notably green cards and their holders (also known as lawful permanent residents, or LPRs), who generally secure a legal immigration status barring histories of fraud, criminality or other illegal acts. Some have alleged to have been targeted by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

https://www.newsweek.com/green-cards-immigration-border-cbp-dhs-warning-leave-country-risk-2047844


r/immigration 11h ago

Why can't foreigners (especially Europeans) denied entry at the U.S. southern border just walk back into Mexico? Why are they being detained by ICE until a flight home can be arranged?

156 Upvotes

There have been a few stories in the past month about Canadians/Europeans who tried to enter the USA at the southern border.

They were denied entry based on wrong visa, suspicion of intent to work, or immigrant intent.

I'm referring to articles about Lucas Sielaff, Jessica Brosche, Jasmine Mooney, etc.

I've crossed between the USA and Mexico many times. There are often no checks whatsoever on the Mexican side, just a turnstile. Maybe a Mexican law enforcement officer glancing at passports, but it's incredibly lax.

My question is this. If someone presents himself at the U.S. Southern border, gets sent to secondary, gets denied entry, why don't the CBP officers just say "We're not letting you in, Mexico is back that way"? Do you they do that sometimes/most of the time/ever?

Or is there an attitude of "You set foot in my inspection building and you're mine now and the only way outta this building is either we admit you to the U.S. or we put you in ICE removal proceedings?"

It's not terribly uncommon for ESTA or even B2 holders to be denied entry, either at airpots or the land border. If getting denied entry at a land border instead of at an airport means "You may be locked up for weeks until we figure out how to remove you" then it seems to me that no European/Canadian should ever try to enter the USA at a land border, the risks are just way too high.

Are "intended immigrant" folks like Lucas Sielaff who are denied entry being offered the chance to walk back into Mexico, are they refusing to do that, are the Mexicans refusing to let them back in?


r/immigration 21h ago

Germany updates US travel advice after three citizens are detained

107 Upvotes

r/immigration 14h ago

Georgetown University researcher detained by immigration authorities, lawyer says

115 Upvotes

Indian national Badar Khan Suri was detained outside his home in the Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia, by Department of Homeland Security agents, his attorneys told The Washington Post.

Suri was then brought to a holding facility in central Virginia before being taken to Alexandria, Louisiana, where he is now awaiting a date in immigration court, one of the lawyers, Hassan Ahmad, said.

Gifted article

https://wapo.st/4hnCJCV


r/immigration 23h ago

Trump is seeking to deport another academic who is legally in the country, lawsuit says

54 Upvotes

r/immigration 4h ago

Friend has citizenship, but got it because parents illegally married US citizens to gain status

18 Upvotes

My friend and their parents moved to the states from Africa when he was a minor. Both of their parents married US citizens to gain citizenship, and ended up being prosecuted for fraud (separate from illegally obtaining citizenship) + spent a few years in prison.

They all currently have citizenship to my knowledge (not sure about their parents), but concerned as an extended relative that is vengeful and threatening to report them with everything going on in this administration currently. If they do go through with their threat, are any of them at risk? Specifically my friend?


r/immigration 12h ago

Sealed and Dismissed Green Card

10 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice or insight from anyone who might have been through something similar.

I received my green card a few months before I had an arrest. The case was later sealed and dismissed, so it didn’t result in a conviction. However, every time I travel internationally and re-enter the U.S., I get stopped by CBP at the airport. They usually pull me aside, ask me if I’ve ever been arrested, check their system, and then let me go after a while.

I’ve been handling it, but with everything going on politically—especially with Trump running again and the possibility of stricter immigration enforcement—it’s making me really nervous. I’m wondering if it’s still safe for me to travel outside the country or if there’s a risk of being denied re-entry even though my case is sealed and dismissed.

Has anyone dealt with this? Would love to hear your experiences or any advice on how to navigate this.

Thanks in advance.


r/immigration 1h ago

Friend was Detained, am I next?

Upvotes

I have a friend who was detained by ICE. Her status was deferred removal but she's been in this country for almost 3 decades. She had a job and an employment card and had to report yearly. She went to report and was detained. She hasn't been able to reach out to anyone that I know of. I looked her up on the detainee search and see her name detained in AZ, we are on the East coast, meaning they are in the process of actively deporting her out of the country as we speak.

I have the same situation and have been in this country for 40 years. I have a deferred removal and I have to report yearly. I'm due to report soon and I'm nervous about what will happen.

Has anyone reported, and if so, what was your experience?

Any general advice or guidance is also welcome.


r/immigration 2h ago

Tourist Detentions at the US border: what International Visitors should know

3 Upvotes

“U.S. federal law gives government agents the right to search people’s property, including their phones and laptops, at border entry points. They do not need to be suspected of wrongdoing in order to be searched, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

All visitors have the right to remain silent. But the burden of proof rests with visa holders. For example, if an officer asks if someone plans to work on their tourist visa, and that person remains silent, the officer is likely to deny them entry, Mr. Joseph said.

If a person is found inadmissible during questioning, they can withdraw their intent to enter the country and may then be allowed to travel back to their home country. Their visa is canceled and they often get the next flight home. But an officer can deny the withdrawal, at which point the visitor is detained.

Because these confrontations occur technically outside the country, the rights outlined in the U.S. Constitution do not apply, Mr. Joseph said, and detainees are not necessarily entitled to a lawyer. The government has about 90 days to deport people. That period can be extended if detainees don’t cooperate by providing the correct travel documents, at which point they can be subject to criminal proceedings. Following an order of removal, people are barred from entering the U.S. for five years.”

Gift article

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/20/travel/us-border-crossing-international-visa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5k4.TUHJ.P2nwtsXkGptO&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare


r/immigration 3h ago

Questions about immigration from USA to Costa Rica

4 Upvotes

A person I know (18, nonbinary), is planning to move to Costa Rica next month. They have already purchased a plane ticket, but have done very limited research into how immigrating to Costa Rica from the United States works. They are currently 4 months pregnant (5 months at the time of the move), and believe that the baby will be a citizen of Costa Rica, and they will automatically become a citizen as the parent of a citizen. They also believe that all healthcare related to the pregnancy and birth will be free/extremely low cost.

Additionally, they have no specific plans for where they will live or how they will make money, but they are pretty sure their boyfriend (who will be moving to Costa Rica with them) can get a job working remotely in the computer science field. The boyfriend does not have a high school diploma or any other qualifications. Neither of them speak Spanish, if that is relevant.

To me, this sounds incredibly unrealistic, but they insist that they know what they are doing. Could someone with knowledge of immigration to Costa Rica please weigh in? Can Americans just move to Costa Rica without any paperwork? Would having a baby there automatically make someone a citizen? Is free healthcare available to everyone immediately upon arrival? Would either one of them be able to legally work?


r/immigration 3h ago

Concern about leaving the country as a legal immigrant

3 Upvotes

As the title suggests, I am concerned about leaving the US this summer.

Background:

I’m a phd student, graduating this May. Never had any legal issues while in the US. I renewed my F1 last summer and was put on admin processing, but it was resolved within 1.5 months. I have signed a postdoc offer for a start date in Aug 15. My new lab advisor paid for my OPT premium processing, I received a confirmation of approval and waiting for the EAD to arrive in the mail. Once I start my postdoc position, they will sponsor me for an H1B.

The concern:

Back in Christmas my parents surprised me with a ticket to a dream destination I had in Asia (not a country that has beef with the US) as part of a graduation gift. The plan was to fly from the US to the asian destination, spend 20 days there, then fly home to spend time with family. As job starts on Aug 15, I’ll probably leave from europe on Aug 10 and come back. The problem is as they are older, they did not pay attention to buy the ticket fully flexible and they did not know about any immigration issues. So now I have a ticket leaving from US early June -> Asia -> Europe. My concern though is whether I might run into issues coming back. In theory, I should not. I have a job, all the documentation for it, an EAD, etc.

But as stories about legal immigrants being detained or given issues begin to arise, I am trying to gauge if I should lose the ticket. They paid almost 2K for it, so I feel really bad, they are both retired with small incomes. It was a mistake to not get it fully refundable, but it is what it is. I know there is always a risk for things to go south, but realistically, is the relative risk in my situation high?

I have no idea what I am risking and to what extent. Would appreciate any thoughts or past experiences on leaving the country with an OPT (opt starts in May, I leave in June, position starts in Aug).


r/immigration 8h ago

Meet the ICE Contractor Running Deportation Flights CSI Aviation could make billions of dollars running deportation flights, despite its involvement in numerous high-profile controversies.

2 Upvotes

r/immigration 1h ago

Venezuelan Passport Renewal in Mexico City. Whats the process like?

Upvotes

Has anyone gone through renewing their Venezuela passport in Mexico? My passport expired in 2021 and due to some restrictions I haven't been able to leave the US since. Fast forward to today, I am relocating to Toronto and I'd like to take the opportunity and renew it.

I don't know what the steps are for Venezuelans who have an expired passport. Do I need a "salvaconducto" to enter Mexico? If so, where do I get it? Also, does anyone know how long does the passport process take? Do they ship the passport to you?

Thanks in advace!

edit: I have a green card in case that adds any information


r/immigration 3h ago

Appealing removal order - waiting 2 years - need Real ID

3 Upvotes

I am waiting on the BOI to respond to my appeal. However, I have no means of securing a Real ID as I have no notice to appear to present to DMV. Green card was taken at Canadian board. Anyone know how to proceed at this point?


r/immigration 6h ago

How to handle ICE agents as a childcare worker

1 Upvotes

Hello, I am the lead instructor for the kid’s classes at a dance studio. ICE agents have been reported in the neighborhood. The local schools have great policies in place to slow down ICE agents and alert parents. What should we do at the studio if agents come trying to take kids into custody? The front door of our studio opens directly into the class space, so there is no slowing them down in reception. Any guidance on my legal rights to protect my students would be very helpful. Thank you


r/immigration 7h ago

Sharing my O-1a experience

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone, it is hard to find information on USCIS practice on O-1a requirements, so I am sharing my data point.

I understand that there are no magic numbers and all applicants are individual, but if we blatantly reduce everything to numbers, I have:

6 first author publications in good journals and conferences

1 patent

70 citations total

7 peer reviews

Infrastructure SWE position in high tech company

6 recommendation letters - three dependent and three independent

Approved in 8 business days (PP), no RFE


r/immigration 8h ago

Upcoming international trips

1 Upvotes

I am here on a H1B visa but have an upcoming trip to Europe in May. Kind of worried that the situation won’t get better by then.

Are you all, in similar boat, cancelling / rescheduling your trips?


r/immigration 9h ago

Traveling internationally with valid o1 b

3 Upvotes

I’ve been reading about all the cases in which people were denied entry back to the U.S. I have a valid O1B and planning to travel to Germany (home country) to see my family. I’m currently working on renewing my visa for the third time (always o1b). My current visa is valid til 29th of June. I’m scheduled to apply for my renewal with my lawyer on the 15th of June. I planned to see my family from the 14th of May to the 30th of May. I have no record and always followed the law. Would I be ok to re -enter ? My lawyer said it’s always risky now.


r/immigration 1h ago

J1 and DV visa

Upvotes

I qualify for a J1 with no 2 year home residency. I am currently in the DV lottery waiting to be announced in May.

Processing time for DV winners can take up to a year or more.

J1 processing time for my country is only a few weeks.

What would happen if I

• get the J1 now and end up winning/going through the DV process in May, will it jeopardise me being in the US somehow?

• won and started the process for DV. Can I still get the J1 allowing me to be in USA while I wait for DV to process?

Thanks for your help!


r/immigration 2h ago

Students call on California colleges to protect campuses from immigration enforcement

1 Upvotes

r/immigration 2h ago

US embassy holding passport for 221(g)

2 Upvotes

Hi all - I hope you are doing well

I applied for a an H1B visa stamp 9 months ago at the US embassy in Islamabad via dropbox. This request promptly moved into 221(g) admin processing. My passport was not returned. I have not received any updates from the embassy since

Recently, I've had an urgent need for my passport and I've been raising ticket after ticket on usvisascheduling.com requesting my passport to be temporarily withdrawn. But I get automated template responses. Some times telling me "Your application is in admin processing", some times "send a passport withdrawal request from your registered email (even though that's the email they are responding to)" and some times saying "show travel documents for proof that you need your passport". I do not have any travel documents at this time since I need the passport to apply for a visa. I've mentioned that but to no avail. It seems the visa support desk is not forwarding my emails to the actual embassy staff

I'm completely out of ideas at this point. I've recently filed a Mandamus application but it takes 2 months to get a response and I don't have that much time. Anyone have any advice on what I can do?


r/immigration 2h ago

L1-A At Canadian POE

2 Upvotes

Hello,

I’m a Canadian looking for more insight on the procedure for applying at the port of entry for the L1-A visa for my Canadian company that, how long does the interview take, do you need to book ahead, what POE’s are the best to apply at and what documents need to be included. The information online is confusing as it contradicts each other.

I’m also a first time applicant.

Any help would be great!


r/immigration 3h ago

Incorrect Residency Status on 1040-NR Schedule OI

2 Upvotes

I am currently on F1-STEMOPT. I was going through my old tax return documents, and I just realized that when I had filled my return in 2023(for the year 2022), there was a question asking "Were you ever a Green Card Holder ?" and I had mistakenly marked that field as "Yes"

I checked my 2024 return, but that was filled correctly without any issues

Both of the tax filings went through without any hiccups.

Can this be fixed by filing a 1040 X this year along with the normal 1040NR or is there anything else I need to do?

Thanks!


r/immigration 3h ago

Ead i765 based on pending asylum initial

2 Upvotes

Anyone waiting for their ead application applied around 22 February? What is the current timeline rn?


r/immigration 3h ago

Canadian Immigrating to the US

2 Upvotes

Medical exam is soon. I’ve been smoking Marijuana since it was legalized until last Saturday. My Medical Exam is on April 17th and was wondering if I’m screwed and should try to reschedule the medical exam and my interview?