...
By Dan Gooding
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The Trump administration has issued a fresh warning to green card holders in the United States, advising them to behave like a guest or risk removal, escalating concerns among millions of legal residents amid intensified immigration enforcement.
A post on X, formerly Twitter, from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) this week reminded lawful permanent residents that their stay in the country is not guaranteed and could be revoked if they are deemed a threat to national interests.
Newsweek reached out to USCIS and the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) for further comment on the criteria being used to analyze social media posts via email Tuesday morning.
Read More on U.S.
Why It Matters
The warning underscores the Trump administration's broadened approach to immigration enforcement, one that now increasingly targets not just undocumented individuals but also legal residents. At the center of this shift is a growing policy emphasis on social media monitoring and ideological scrutiny, as legal residents are reportedly being deported or denied reentry into the U.S. based on their online activity or political affiliations.
The administration's tactics have raised urgent questions about free speech, surveillance, and the limits of due process for immigrants who have lived legally in the country for years.
...
What to Know
The post, shared on the official USCIS account, stated: "EVERYONE should be on notice. If you're a guest in our country – act like it. Our robust social media vetting program to identify national security & public safety risks never stops. USCIS is on watch to find anything online that poses a threat to our nation & our way of life."
USCIS announced in March it would soon require visa and green card applicants to disclose all their social media handles, part of a broader vetting effort that the agency says is essential for national security.
The information would be used for "identity verification, vetting and national security screening," the agency said. The change, now in effect, is likely to impact over 2.5 million applicants and add nearly 286,000 hours of work annually to agency staff workloads, Newsweek previously reported.
Critics warned that the scope and subjectivity of this surveillance could chill free speech. The Trump administration has argued that those who express pro-Hamas or antisemitic views, or other ideas which go against U.S. foreign policy, are a potential national security threat and may face deportation.
Those who have not broken any laws or violated immigration rules have nothing to fear, a senior Border Patrol official previously told Newsweek.
Latest estimates from USCIS for 2024 showed around 12.8 million people living in the U.S. hold green cards, or lawful permanent residency (LPR), with around 8.6 million of those eligible to apply for citizenship.
Around half a million people seek adjustment of status to lawful permanent residency each year. Green card holders have arrived in the U.S. from all over the world. Some may have originally arrived on work visas, or through marriage to a U.S. citizen.
The ability to apply for U.S. citizenship comes after three or five years of holding LPR status, depending on circumstances.
CNN documented the fears of several green card holders—including a Canadian tattoo artist, a business owner from Colorado, and a Palestinian-American student leader—who now hesitate to travel abroad or even express political views online.
Mahmoud Khalil, a lawful permanent resident and activist, was detained this year despite no criminal charges, sparking outrage among immigrant advocates. The administration justified the detention under a statute that allows deportation based on "potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences."
David Leopold, a past president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, called the move "a dangerous precedent," telling CNN, "Who's next? Is it a climate activist? Is it trans activists? Is it somebody who is concerned about health care? Is it somebody who just simply opposes Donald Trump?"
DHS officials have reiterated that green card holders are not entitled to unconditional stay, despite perceived, and real, additional protections granted to green card holders compared to other visa holders.
What People Are Saying
The Center for Democracy and Technology deputy director Becca Branum, told Newsweek: "The First Amendment protects everyone in the United States, regardless of their immigration status. The Trump Administration cannot change the Constitution by bullying and surveilling immigrant communities online. The Administration's social media monitoring and viewpoint-based immigration policies will irrevocably chill noncitizens' expression and risk everyone's First Amendment rights."
Vera Eidelman, senior staff attorney at the ACLU Speech, Privacy & Technology Project, told Newsweek in a statement: "The First Amendment protects people regardless of their viewpoints and regardless of their citizenship status. Expressing political views—including those disfavored by the government—doesn't make someone a national security or public safety risk. And monitoring people's social media posts for anything that 'poses a threat to our way of life' won't make us safer. What it will do is make people think twice before saying anything controversial or critical of the government—and unfortunately, that seems to be the point."
Saira Hussain, senior attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told Newsweek in March: "These are people who could have been residing in the U.S. for 30, 40 years. It really creates a massive chilling effect...concerned they are going to be vetted and denied immigration benefits such as naturalization."
CBP Assistant Commissioner Hilton Beckham told Newsweek in a statement in early April: "The Trump Administration is enforcing immigration laws—something the previous administration failed to do. Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained, and removed as required."
Vice President JD Vance said in a Fox News interview last month: "A green card holder, even if I may like that green card holder, doesn't have an indefinite right to be in the United States of America. If the Secretary of State and the President decide, 'This person shouldn't be in America,' it's as simple as that."
What Happens Next
As social media monitoring becomes a formal part of the immigration system, attorneys are urging green card holders to be cautious with online activity and avoid extended trips abroad without legal guidance. Legal experts also anticipate a surge in citizenship applications as lawful permanent residents seek to protect themselves from sudden removal.
Update 4/29/25, 3:50 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines