Green Card Revocation in the US 2026
Green card revocation — one of the most feared outcomes for any lawful permanent resident (LPR) in the United States — has entered a sharply new chapter in 2026. What was once a relatively rare administrative action has become a real and growing concern for millions of permanent residents as the federal government escalates enforcement activity, fraud detection, and immigration court proceedings to levels not seen in decades. From coast to coast, green card holders are now navigating a system that is simultaneously more vigilant and less forgiving, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) all operating under expanded mandates and stricter guidelines that directly affect who keeps — and who loses — their permanent resident status.
The stakes could not be higher. There are an estimated 13.9 million lawful permanent residents currently living in the United States, and virtually every one of them is subject to the laws and policies that govern green card revocation. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), specifically INA § 237 for removal grounds and INA § 246 for rescission, a permanent resident’s status can be challenged, revoked, or formally stripped through immigration court proceedings. Since January 20, 2025, the current administration has issued approximately 196,600 Notices to Appear (NTAs) — the legal document that formally begins removal proceedings — and made 13,225 referrals to ICE for fraud, public safety, and national security concerns, according to official USCIS data. Understanding the full scope of these numbers, the reasons behind green card revocations, and the legal mechanisms involved is essential for anyone holding or pursuing permanent residence in 2026.
Key Interesting Facts About Green Card Revocation in the US 2026
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total LPRs in the US | Approximately 13.9 million lawful permanent residents as of 2024–2025 |
| NTAs Issued Since Jan. 20, 2025 | ~196,600 Notices to Appear issued by USCIS to initiate removal proceedings |
| USCIS ICE Referrals for Fraud/Security | 13,225 referrals made for fraud, public safety, and national security concerns |
| ICE Apprehensions at USCIS Facilities | Nearly 2,000 criminal and illegal aliens apprehended at USCIS facilities since Jan. 20, 2025 |
| Operation Twin Shield Fraud Detection Rate | 44% of interviewed cases showed evidence of fraud, non-compliance, or security concerns |
| Operation Twin Shield Cases Reviewed | Over 1,000 cases with fraud or ineligibility indicators investigated in Minneapolis-St. Paul area |
| Operation Twin Shield Site Visits | 900+ in-person site visits and interviews conducted in a 10-day period (Sept. 19–28, 2025) |
| Rescission Time Limit (INA § 246) | LPR status may not be rescinded more than 5 years after the alien became an LPR |
| Marriage Fraud Anti-Fraud Budget (2025) | $376 million dedicated in the first 100 days of 2025 to fight marriage fraud |
| Nationwide Marriage Fraud Ring Arrests (Apr. 2025) | 10 people arrested, 4 indicted in a USCIS/ICE/Dept. of State joint operation |
| ICE Estimated FY2025 Deportations | ICE conducted an estimated ~340,000 deportations in FY2025, 25% higher than FY2024 |
| EOIR Immigration Court Backlog (End of FY2024) | 3.6 million pending immigration cases — the highest in EOIR’s 41-year history |
| EOIR FY2024 Removal Orders (% of decisions) | 47% of all EOIR initial case decisions in FY2024 resulted in a removal order |
| USCIS Homeland Defenders Applications Received | Over 50,000 applications received for new special agent positions — highest in agency history |
| SAVE Verification Queries (Calendar Year 2025) | Nearly 206 million SAVE queries run to detect immigration fraud and preserve public benefits |
Source: USCIS Newsroom — DHS Strengthens Integrity in Nation’s Immigration System (Nov. 2025); USCIS — Operation Twin Shield (Sept. 2025); DOJ EOIR via Congressional Research Service (CRS IN12501, IN12492, 2024); Migration Policy Institute, ICE FY2025 Estimates (Oct. 2025)
The numbers above reveal just how dramatically the landscape of green card revocation in the US in 2026 has shifted. The 44% fraud detection rate from Operation Twin Shield alone is a jaw-dropping figure — it means that nearly half of all cases flagged and interviewed in Minneapolis showed real problems, from marriage fraud and forged documents to public safety threats and visa abuse. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow himself called the operation “a resounding success,” and the agency has since announced plans to use the data patterns uncovered in Minneapolis to cross-check pending cases nationwide, and even reopen previously granted immigration benefits to determine whether rescission or revocation is appropriate. That announcement should concern every LPR who obtained status through a benefit application, because it signals that revocation is no longer just a reactive enforcement tool — it has become a proactive enforcement priority.
Equally significant is the sheer volume of Notices to Appear issued since January 20, 2025. The figure of ~196,600 NTAs in under 12 months represents a historic expansion of USCIS’s enforcement role. Under the February 28, 2025, USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187, USCIS officers are now directed to issue NTAs not just after criminal convictions or blatant fraud, but also after routine benefit denials where the applicant is found to be unlawfully present — including situations where the denial of a Form I-751 (Petition to Remove Conditions on Residence) or Form I-829 automatically triggers a mandatory NTA. Combined with the EOIR backlog of 3.6 million pending cases — the largest in the court’s 41-year history — the pipeline from NTA to final removal order is both larger and more consequential than it has ever been.
Legal Grounds for Green Card Revocation in the US 2026
| Ground for Revocation/Removal | Legal Authority | Key Details | Current Enforcement Status (2025–2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immigration Fraud / Misrepresentation | INA § 237(a)(1)(A); INA § 246 | Includes marriage fraud, fake documents, false claims, omission of material facts | Actively enforced; USCIS issuing NTAs even where fraud is found but was not the primary denial reason |
| Marriage Fraud | INA § 204(c); INA § 237(a)(1)(G) | Sham marriages to obtain green cards; proof of genuine relationship now mandatory at all stages | $376M dedicated; mandatory interviews; home visits; neighbor interviews by USCIS officers |
| Abandonment of Residency | INA § 101(a)(13)(C) | Extended absences abroad (typically 6+ months); failure to maintain U.S. as primary home | Officers increasingly questioning LPRs returning from long absences at ports of entry |
| Criminal Convictions | INA § 237(a)(2) | Aggravated felonies, crimes involving moral turpitude (CIMT), drug offenses | Automatic NTA upon denial; USCIS refers to ICE; nearly 2,000 apprehensions at USCIS facilities |
| Rescission under INA § 246 | INA § 246(a); 8 C.F.R. § 1246.1 | Only applicable within 5 years of gaining LPR status; DHS serves Notice of Intent to Rescind | Being revived as enforcement tool; LPR given 30 days to respond or request hearing |
| National Security / Terrorism | INA § 212(a)(3); INA § 237(a)(4) | Terrorism-related inadmissibility grounds (TRIG); espionage; membership in terrorist organizations | Highest USCIS priority; instant referral to ICE and FBI |
| Conditional Residence Failure (I-751/I-829 Denial) | 8 CFR § 216; INA § 216 | Failure to file joint petition to remove conditions; divorce before conditions removed | Mandatory NTA under PM-602-0187; no discretionary exemption |
| Failure to Disclose Prior Criminal Record | INA § 237(a)(1)(A) | Omission during naturalization or adjustment of status found retroactively | USCIS now reviews prior naturalization applications for inadmissibility at time of adjustment |
Source: DOJ EOIR Reference Materials — Chapter 7.3 Rescission Proceedings; USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187, Feb. 28, 2025; INA § 237 and § 246 (Immigration and Nationality Act)
The table above outlines every formal legal ground on which the US government can initiate green card revocation in 2026, and the pattern is clear: enforcement is tighter across every single category. The most significant shift is in how immigration fraud cases are now handled. Under the new USCIS NTA policy (February 28, 2025), an NTA will be issued “even if the petition or application was denied for reasons other than fraud” — meaning if fraud is found anywhere in the record, removal proceedings can begin regardless of the primary denial basis. This represents a seismic change from prior policy, which typically allowed denial-only outcomes without triggering deportation for many applicants. The effect is that a far broader set of green card holders — including those who may have made innocent misrepresentations years ago — could find themselves facing removal proceedings in 2026.
The INA § 246 rescission mechanism deserves special attention in the current enforcement climate. Unlike removal proceedings under INA § 240, a rescission proceeding does not require the government to prove that a person is removable for other reasons — it only needs to establish that the alien was not actually eligible for LPR status in the first place. The 5-year window under INA § 246(a) is the critical protection: once 5 years have passed since adjustment of status, USCIS cannot use rescission to revoke green card status. However, for green cards issued within the last five years — millions of which were issued during the 2020–2024 surge in LPR grants — this remains a live threat, especially given USCIS’s announced intention to reopen previously granted benefits for fraud review.
USCIS Enforcement Activity Related to Green Card Revocation in the US 2026
| USCIS Enforcement Metric | Data Point | Time Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notices to Appear (NTAs) Issued by USCIS | ~196,600 | Jan. 20, 2025 – Dec. 2025 | USCIS End-of-Year Review, Dec. 2025 |
| USCIS ICE Referrals (Fraud/Security/Public Safety) | 13,225 | Jan. 20, 2025 – Nov. 2025 | USCIS Nov. 2025 News Release |
| Apprehensions at USCIS Facilities | ~2,000 | Jan. 20, 2025 – Nov. 2025 | USCIS Nov. 2025 News Release |
| USCIS Referrals for Confirmed/Suspected Gang Members (FTOs) | 320 | Jan. 20, 2025 – Nov. 2025 | USCIS Nov. 2025 News Release |
| SAVE Queries for Immigration Status Verification | ~206 million | Calendar Year 2025 | USCIS Dec. 2025 End-of-Year Review |
| Operation Twin Shield — Cases with Fraud Indicators Investigated | 1,000+ | Sept. 19–28, 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| Operation Twin Shield — Site Visits Conducted | 900+ | Sept. 19–28, 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| Operation Twin Shield — Fraud/Non-Compliance Found | 275 cases (44%) | Sept. 19–28, 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| Operation Twin Shield — NTAs or ICE Referrals Issued | 42 as of press release date (expected to grow) | Sept. 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| Homeland Defenders Hiring Campaign Applications | 50,000+ | Sept. 30, 2025 launch | USCIS Dec. 2025 End-of-Year Review |
| Marriage Fraud Arrests (April 2025 nationwide operation) | 10 arrested, 4 indicted | April 2025 | VisaVerge / USCIS-ICE-DOS Joint Op |
| USCIS Budget Dedicated to Marriage Fraud Enforcement | $376 million (first 100 days of 2025) | Jan.–April 2025 | USCIS Policy Reporting, 2025 |
Source: USCIS End-of-Year Review, Dec. 22, 2025; USCIS Operation Twin Shield Press Release, Sept. 30, 2025
These numbers paint a picture of an enforcement apparatus operating at an intensity that has no modern precedent within USCIS’s history. The ~196,600 NTAs issued in under twelve months by USCIS alone — an agency that historically focused on adjudications, not enforcement — signals that the traditional separation between immigration benefits administration and deportation enforcement has effectively been erased. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow confirmed this directly, stating that USCIS is now an “immigration enforcement agency” in addition to its traditional benefits role. The practical consequence for green card holders in 2026 is that their status is now subject to scrutiny not just at the time of application, but retroactively — particularly with tools like the 206 million SAVE queries used to cross-reference immigration status against public benefit usage.
The Operation Twin Shield results are particularly instructive because they show how USCIS now uses targeted, data-driven fraud detection to identify patterns across applications and then physically verify them through home visits and interviews. The 44% fraud discovery rate in cases that already had “fraud indicators” is not necessarily representative of the general LPR population — these were pre-screened high-risk cases. However, the agency has stated explicitly that it plans to apply the “data and patterns” identified in Minneapolis to analyze pending cases nationwide, which means the operational model demonstrated by Twin Shield is intended to scale. For LPRs with complex application histories, especially those involving marriage-based petitions, the risk of having their file re-examined in this manner is real and growing.
Immigration Court (EOIR) Data Related to Green Card Revocation in the US 2026
| EOIR / Immigration Court Metric | Data Point | Fiscal Year / Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total EOIR Pending Case Backlog | 3.6 million cases | End of FY2024 (Sept. 30, 2024) | CRS Insight IN12492; EOIR Adjudication Statistics |
| New Cases Received by EOIR | ~1.8 million | FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12492 |
| EOIR Initial Case Decisions Issued | 666,177 | FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12501; EOIR Oct. 2024 |
| Removal Orders as % of EOIR Decisions | 47% | FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12501 |
| Dismissals and Terminations as % of EOIR Decisions | 45% | FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12501 |
| Grants of Relief (Asylum, etc.) as % of EOIR Decisions | ~6% | FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12501 |
| Voluntary Departure as % of EOIR Decisions | ~1% | FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12501 |
| Immigration Judges on Staff | 735 | End of FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12492 |
| Backlog Growth FY2023 to FY2024 | +44% (from 2.5M to 3.6M) | FY2023–FY2024 | CRS Insight IN12463 |
| ICE Estimated Total Deportations (FY2025) | ~340,000 | FY2025 (Oct. 2024–Sept. 2025) | Migration Policy Institute, Oct. 2025 |
| ICE FY2025 Deportations vs. FY2024 | ~25% higher than FY2024’s 271,000 | FY2024 vs. FY2025 | Migration Policy Institute, Oct. 2025 |
| Share Released from ICE Detention on Bond/Parole | Fell from 26% (Oct. 2024) to 3% (Sept. 2025) | Oct. 2024 – Sept. 2025 | Migration Policy Institute |
| Deported Directly from ICE Detention | 90% of detainees in Sept. 2025 (vs. 63% in Oct. 2024) | Oct. 2024 – Sept. 2025 | Migration Policy Institute |
Source: Congressional Research Service (CRS) — IN12492, IN12501, IN12463; Migration Policy Institute — A New Era of Immigration Enforcement, Oct. 2025; DOJ EOIR Adjudication Statistics, Oct. 2024
The immigration court data for 2024–2025 reveals a system at an extraordinary breaking point — but one that is simultaneously processing removal orders at the highest rate in years. The 3.6 million case backlog at EOIR as of the end of FY2024 is the highest in the court’s 41-year history, representing a 44% increase in just a single fiscal year (from 2.5 million cases at end of FY2023 to 3.6 million by September 2024). For lawful permanent residents who are placed in removal proceedings — whether through an NTA issued by USCIS, ICE, or CBP — this backlog means that their cases may take years to fully adjudicate. However, that is not the same as safety: ICE has dramatically reduced the rate at which detained individuals are released, with 90% of detainees in September 2025 being deported directly from ICE custody, compared to 63% in October 2024.
What the 47% removal order rate in FY2024 EOIR decisions means for green card holders is nuanced but critical. Not all 666,177 EOIR decisions in FY2024 involved LPRs — the majority involved individuals who never held lawful status. However, rescission proceedings under INA § 246 and removal proceedings targeting LPRs for post-status criminal activity or abandonment are embedded within that larger caseload. The steady growth in USCIS NTA issuance — particularly following the February 28, 2025, Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187 — ensures that more LPR cases will be entering EOIR in FY2025 and FY2026 than in any prior year. The decline in ICE detention releases (from 26% to 3% over just 11 months) makes the stakes of any individual removal proceeding far higher than they were even 18 months ago.
Green Card Denial and Revocation Rates by Category in the US 2026
| Category | Approval Rate / Denial Rate | Key Metric | Fiscal Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment-Based Green Cards — Overall Approval Rate | ~91% approval | FY2024 high approval rate for properly prepared cases | FY2024 | USCIS/Alma Green Card Statistics, Jan. 2026 |
| Employment-Based Green Cards — Total Denials | 13,485 denials | Out of 129,814 applications filed | FY2024 | USCIS FY2024 Data; DocketWise Analysis |
| Employment-Based Applications Filed | 129,814 | Reflects sustained demand for skilled worker immigration | FY2024 | USCIS FY2024 Quarterly Data |
| Family-Based Green Cards — Denial Rate | ~10%+ annually | Nearly 50,000 denials recorded in FY2024 | FY2024 | DocketWise Green Card Statistics Analysis, July 2025 |
| Family-Based Pending Caseload | Consistently above 500,000 throughout FY2024 | Reflects sustained structural bottlenecks | FY2024 | DocketWise Analysis |
| Employment-Based Approvals (Peak Quarter) | 36,211 approvals (Q3 FY2024) | Highest quarterly approvals, focusing on clearing backlogs | FY2024 Q3 | DocketWise Analysis |
| Family-Based Approvals (Peak Quarter) | 119,802 approvals (Q4 FY2024) | Up from 82,552 in Q1 FY2024 | FY2024 Q4 | DocketWise Analysis |
| Total Green Cards Issued (FY2023) | Over 1 million | Consistent with prior year levels | FY2023 | USCIS Annual Statistical Report FY2023 |
| Approved Petitions Awaiting Visa Availability | ~785,000 | Vetted but backlogged — no visa numbers available | As of 2025 | USCIS Data / Alma Analysis |
| Average Employment-Based Processing Time | 13.2 months | Range: 10.7 months (Jan. 2024) to 25.3 months (Sept. 2024) | FY2024 | USCIS Historic Processing Times |
| USCIS Cases Completed in FY2025 Q3 | 2.7 million | ~16% decrease vs. same quarter last year | FY2025 Q3 | Niskanen Center / USCIS Data, Jan. 2026 |
| USCIS Approvals in FY2025 Q3 vs. FY2024 Q3 | 21% fewer approvals | And 19% fewer than FY2025 Q1 | FY2025 Q3 | Niskanen Center Analysis, Jan. 2026 |
Source: USCIS Immigration and Citizenship Data; USCIS FY2023 Annual Statistical Report; DocketWise Green Card Statistics Analysis, July 2025; Niskanen Center Legal Immigration Status Update, January 2026
The green card denial and processing data for 2024–2025 tells a story of a system under enormous strain, with approval rates diverging sharply by category and processing times becoming increasingly unpredictable. The ~91% approval rate for employment-based green cards in FY2024 sounds reassuring — but the 13,485 denials that represent the other ~9% now carry far greater consequences under the 2025 NTA policy than they did before, since a denied employment-based petition can now trigger removal proceedings for dependent family members who filed Form I-539. The family-based category is under even more pressure, with a denial rate exceeding 10% and nearly 50,000 denials in FY2024 alone. With heightened scrutiny of marriage-based petitions, mandatory in-person interviews, and home visits becoming standard tools, that denial rate is widely expected to increase further in 2026.
The FY2025 Q3 data is particularly sobering: USCIS completed 2.7 million cases — a 16% drop compared to the same quarter in FY2024 — and approved 21% fewer cases than in the prior year’s equivalent quarter. This slowdown in completions, combined with the expansion of enforcement activity, means that the net result for many LPRs in 2026 is longer wait times, more denials, and a higher probability that a denial will result in formal removal proceedings rather than a simple rejection letter. The ~785,000 approved petitions still waiting for visa numbers to become available also highlights how many vetted individuals are vulnerable: they have USCIS approval but not yet full LPR status, meaning any disruption in their qualifying circumstances — job change, marriage dissolution, criminal incident — could see their entire petition unravel.
Key Policy Changes Affecting Green Card Revocation in the US 2026
| Policy / Executive Action | Effective Date | Impact on LPRs / Green Card Holders | Authority / Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| USCIS NTA Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187 | Feb. 28, 2025 | Massively expands when USCIS issues Notices to Appear; now covers fraud cases, TPS terminations, conditional residence denials, out-of-status applicants | USCIS Director, Feb. 2025 |
| USCIS Policy Manual Update — Marriage Fraud | June 24, 2025 | All marriage-based applicants must attend mandatory in-person interview; no waivers; ICE automatic referral upon denial; stricter evidence review | USCIS Policy Manual, June 2025 |
| Presidential Proclamation 10998 | Jan. 1, 2026 | Full or partial suspension of entry for nationals of 39 countries; restricts new visa issuance; affects family petitions where sponsor or beneficiary is from affected country | White House / State Dept., Dec. 2025 |
| USCIS Law Enforcement Authority Delegation | Sept. 2025 (final rule) | USCIS special agents now empowered to investigate, arrest, and present for prosecution immigration law violators | DHS / Secretary Noem Delegation |
| Automatic EAD Extension Eliminated | 2025 | DHS ended automatic extension of Employment Authorization Documents for renewals in certain categories; LPRs with conditional status face tighter documentation timelines | DHS Interim Final Rule, 2025 |
| Neighborhood Investigation Program | Nov. 2025 | USCIS began conducting neighborhood investigations to verify naturalization eligibility (residency, moral character, loyalty) — affects LPRs seeking naturalization | USCIS Dec. 2025 End-of-Year Review |
| Public Charge Rule Rescission Proposed | Nov. 19, 2025 | Proposed rule to rescind 2022 Public Charge final rule; restores USCIS discretion to deny status to those likely to rely on government assistance | DHS Proposed Rule, Nov. 2025 |
| One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1) — New Fee Structure | July 2025 | New immigration fees enacted; millions collected; funds immigration enforcement resources including revocation and deportation operations | Congress / USCIS, July 2025 |
Source: USCIS Newsroom — End-of-Year Review, Dec. 2025; State Department — Presidential Proclamation 10998, Jan. 2026; USCIS Policy Manual, June 2025
The policy changes enacted in 2025 represent the most comprehensive structural shift in US immigration enforcement since at least the post-9/11 era, and their collective effect on green card revocation going into 2026 is profound. The February 28, 2025, NTA memorandum is the single most impactful change: by directing USCIS to issue NTAs in fraud cases regardless of whether fraud was the primary denial ground, the policy creates a net that can catch applicants who made misrepresentations years or even decades ago. The mandatory marriage-based interview policy — combined with home visits, neighbor interviews, and automatic ICE referrals upon denial — has transformed the marriage-based green card process into one of the most heavily scrutinized immigration pathways in the country. Any couple where one partner is from one of the 39 countries subject to Presidential Proclamation 10998 (effective January 1, 2026) now faces additional layers of complication in maintaining or restoring family-based LPR status.
The launch of the Neighborhood Investigation Program in November 2025 marks a particularly aggressive expansion of USCIS’s reach into the daily lives of lawful permanent residents who are pursuing naturalization. The fact that these investigations examine residency, moral character, and loyalty means that LPRs who have maintained their permanent residence without incident but have gaps in documentation — extended travel records, foreign employment, foreign property ownership — could find their naturalization applications denied and their underlying LPR status questioned. This, combined with the proposed rescission of the 2022 Public Charge rule, signals that the administration intends to increase scrutiny not just of new applications, but of already-granted permanent residence where any eligibility question might remain open.
Green Card Abandonment and Extended Absence Statistics in the US 2026
| Abandonment-Related Metric | Data / Threshold | Legal Standard | Current Enforcement Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Absence Triggering Abandonment Presumption | 6+ months outside the US without reentry permit | INA § 101(a)(13)(C); CBP port-of-entry determination | Increased scrutiny at ports of entry; CBP questioning LPRs more aggressively on ties and intent |
| Absence Requiring Reentry Permit | Travel exceeding 1 year requires prior reentry permit (Form I-131) | 8 CFR § 211.1 | Reentry permits now more closely verified; LPRs without them face higher denial risk at POE |
| Maximum Reentry Permit Duration | 2 years (cannot be obtained from outside the US) | 8 CFR § 223.2 | LPRs spending more than 2 years abroad face near-certain challenges to LPR status |
| I-407 (Voluntary Abandonment) — Effect | Permanent, irrevocable surrender of LPR status | Form I-407 / INA § 101(a)(13)(C) | Reports of LPRs signing I-407 under pressure at ports of entry; attorneys urge extreme caution |
| I-90 (Green Card Renewal) Processing Time FY2025 | Increased 486% between Jan. 31 and Sept. 30, 2025 | USCIS Historic Processing Times | Massive delay; expired cards do not affect status but complicate travel and employment verification |
| Average Form I-90 Processing Time | 13.2 months average as of FY2024 | USCIS Processing Time Data | Processing surge due to demand and enforcement priority shifts |
| LPRs at Risk if Divorce Before Removing Conditions | Conditional green card holders (2-year marriage-based green cards) | INA § 216; Form I-751 | Divorce before I-751 filed triggers mandatory NTA under PM-602-0187 (2025); waiver may apply |
| Conditional Green Card → I-751 Denial → NTA | Mandatory NTA issuance upon I-751 denial | PM-602-0187, Feb. 2025; INA § 216(b) | New 2025 policy removes discretion; NTA is now automatic upon I-751 denial |
Source: USCIS Historic Processing Times; Niskanen Center Legal Immigration Status Update (Jan. 2026); USCIS Policy Memorandum PM-602-0187, Feb. 2025; DOJ — INA § 101(a)(13)(C) and 8 CFR § 211.1
The abandonment of LPR status is one of the most misunderstood and quietly dangerous grounds for green card revocation in 2026. Many permanent residents are unaware that an absence of just 6 months can trigger a presumption of abandonment — not an automatic revocation, but a CBP officer’s determination at the port of entry that the traveler no longer intends to maintain the United States as their primary home. If that determination leads to a formal finding of abandonment, the LPR may be required to sign Form I-407, which permanently and irrevocably surrenders their green card status. Immigration attorneys have reported cases in 2025 where LPRs were pressured into signing Form I-407 at ports of entry without fully understanding the consequences, underscoring the real-world risk of extended travel even for LPRs who fully intend to maintain their US residence.
The 486% increase in Form I-90 processing times between January and September 2025 is separately alarming for LPRs navigating abandonment risk. An expired green card does not affect LPR status itself, but it can create significant complications for re-entry, employment verification under I-9 requirements, and interactions with government agencies. For conditional green card holders — those with 2-year marriage-based cards who must file Form I-751 to remove the conditions — the stakes are even higher in 2026. The February 2025 NTA policy made NTA issuance mandatory upon I-751 denial, meaning a divorce before the joint petition is filed, or any discrepancy found during USCIS’s increasingly intensive review of marriage bona fides, can now directly lead to formal removal proceedings with no cushion of prosecutorial discretion.
USCIS Fraud Detection and Green Card Integrity Enforcement in the US 2026
| Fraud Enforcement Metric | Data Point | Period / Operation | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operation Twin Shield — Total Cases Flagged | 1,000+ cases with fraud/ineligibility indicators | Sept. 19–28, 2025 (10 days) | USCIS Official Press Release, Sept. 30, 2025 |
| Operation Twin Shield — Fraud/Non-Compliance Discovery Rate | 44% of interviewed cases | Sept. 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| Operation Twin Shield — NTAs/ICE Referrals Issued | 42 (as of initial report; expected to grow significantly) | Sept.–Oct. 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| Operation Twin Shield — Arrests Made | 4 aliens apprehended at time of announcement | Sept. 2025 | USCIS Official Press Release |
| USCIS Plan for Nationwide Fraud Pattern Analysis | USCIS announced intent to analyze pending cases nationwide using Twin Shield data patterns | Post-Sept. 2025 | USCIS Director Joseph Edlow, Press Conference |
| USCIS Fraud Referrals to ICE (Total Jan.–Nov. 2025) | 13,225 referrals for fraud, public safety, national security | Jan. 20–Nov. 2025 | USCIS Nov. 2025 News Release |
| Confirmed/Suspected FTO Gang Referrals | 320 referrals for confirmed or suspected Foreign Terrorist Organization gang members | Jan. 20–Nov. 2025 | USCIS Nov. 2025 News Release |
| Marriage Fraud Ring (April 2025) — Outcome | 10 arrested, 4 indicted; all immigration benefits revoked; criminal charges filed | April 2025 | USCIS/ICE/Dept. of State Joint Operation |
| Marriage Fraud Enforcement Budget (2025) | $376 million in first 100 days | Jan.–April 2025 | USCIS Policy Reporting |
| Green Card Fraud Discovery Rate (FY2024) | 44% fraud detection rate in USCIS Operation Twin Shield targeted cases | 2025 | USCIS via Alma Green Card Statistics, Jan. 2026 |
| USCIS New Fraud Agent Hiring — Applications Received | 50,000+ applications for Homeland Defender positions | Sept. 30, 2025 launch | USCIS Dec. 2025 End-of-Year Review |
Source: USCIS Operation Twin Shield Press Release, Sept. 30, 2025; USCIS DHS Strengthens Integrity News Release, Nov. 2025
Green card fraud enforcement has become one of the defining characteristics of US immigration administration in 2026, driven by the unprecedented scope and success of Operation Twin Shield and USCIS’s explicit announcement that it intends to scale the operation’s methodology nationwide. The 44% fraud discovery rate — finding evidence of fraud, non-compliance, or public safety concerns in 275 out of roughly 625 interviewed cases — is a figure that USCIS has repeatedly cited as justification for its expanded enforcement agenda. The types of fraud discovered during Twin Shield were wide-ranging: marriage fraud involving fabricated death certificates, H-1B abuse with employees claimed to be working at non-existent businesses, F-1 visa fraud, and cases involving individuals connected to known or suspected terrorists. The breadth of fraud types discovered in a single metro area over 10 days has given the agency substantial political and operational justification for conducting similar operations in other cities with large immigrant communities.
The 13,225 USCIS fraud referrals to ICE between January and November 2025 represent an enforcement activity level that dwarfs anything from the previous administration. These are not border apprehensions or ordinary NTAs — these are referrals generated specifically from USCIS’s adjudication and investigation processes, meaning they target individuals who are or were actively engaged in the legal immigration system, including many who held or were applying for green cards. For permanent residents who obtained their status through marriage-based petitions, employment-based sponsorships, or other benefit applications, the existence of this referral pipeline — and USCIS’s stated intent to reopen previously approved benefits for rescission review — means that holding a green card is no longer a guarantee of long-term security in 2026 without meticulous documentation and ongoing compliance with every aspect of US immigration law.
Disclaimer: The data research report we present here is based on information found from various sources. We are not liable for any financial loss, errors, or damages of any kind that may result from the use of the information herein. We acknowledge that though we try to report accurately, we cannot verify the absolute facts of everything that has been represented.
