Recent detentions and deportations of Green Card holders have raised questions about the rights of Indians and others in the US under the Trump administration.
By Aniket Chakraborty
Mar 30, 2025
Indians are the second-largest group to obtain US citizenship or Green Cards in FY 2024, with 49,700 Indians naturalized, representing 6.1% of new citizens.
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Green Card holders (lawful permanent residents) have the legal right to return to the US after traveling abroad, though Customs officers can inspect and question them.
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According to USCIS, permanent residents can live indefinitely in the US provided they don't commit actions that would make them removable under immigration law.
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Green Card holders must obey all US laws, file income tax returns, support democratic government, and register for Selective Service if male between 18-25.
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A Green Card can be revoked for reasons including marriage fraud, criminal convictions, substance abuse, and immigration fraud in the application process.
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Florida-based immigration attorney Ashwin Sharma reported that elderly Indian Green Card holders are being coerced into signing Form I-407 to "voluntarily" surrender their permanent residency.
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If a Green Card is wrongly revoked, options include requesting reconsideration, seeking a waiver, or challenging the decision in federal court.
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While Green Cards must be renewed every 10 years, immigration expert David Leopold notes that "the card expires, but the residency doesn't expire" if the holder complies with the law.
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Individuals whose Green Card is being revoked receive a notice to appear before an immigration judge, as explained by Columbia Law School professor Elora Mukherjee.