Key Takeaways
• Since early 2025, immigration enforcement increasingly targets green card holders with old or minor convictions.
• About 8% of green card holders detained remain in custody three months or more during proceedings.
• Only immigration judges—not ICE—can order deportation of green card holders after thorough legal review.
A Michigan green card holder and father was held for nearly two months in a county jail and an immigration detention center, as part of ongoing deportation proceedings. This long detention is drawing attention because it is part of a larger trend of increased immigration enforcement targeting lawful permanent residents, including those with old or minor convictions.
Let’s break down what happened, why it matters, and what it means for other green card holders living in Michigan and across the United States 🇺🇸.
Increase in Immigration Enforcement Against Green Card Holders
Since early 2025, authorities have begun to step up immigration enforcement. This increase has affected not only undocumented immigrants, but also people with legal status, including green card holders (people who have permission to live and work in the United States 🇺🇸 long-term).
Many of these individuals have lived most of their lives in the United States 🇺🇸. Some, like the Michigan father, have not only set down roots but have also raised American children and built their lives in local communities. Still, changes in immigration enforcement have made them targets for detention and possible deportation if they have even a single criminal conviction, no matter how old or minor.
- For example, Lewelyn Dixon, a 64-year-old with a green card, was picked up by immigration officers near Seattle in February 2025 based on a felony from more than 20 years ago, even though she had already completed her sentence. Cases like hers are not rare—many long-term residents now face separation from their families and uncertainty about their futures.
As reported by VisaVerge.com, these new practices have had a chilling effect on large numbers of lawful residents who might have assumed that their green cards made them safe from deportation.
The Legal Process for Green Card Holder Deportation
When a green card holder is believed to be deportable, there is a specific legal process that has to be followed. This process is supposed to protect people’s rights and ensure that only those who truly break the rules face removal.
Here’s what must happen in these cases:
- First, a green card holder gets a “notice to appear.” This is an official letter that lists the exact reasons they might get deported. You can read more about how this works at the official PBS NewsHour guide.
- After getting this notice, the person must appear before an immigration court. The government then has to provide “clear and convincing evidence”—which means strong proof—that this person can legally be removed from the country.
- Until an immigration judge listens to the case and makes a final ruling, the green card holder is supposed to have the right to stay and argue for themselves.
- Only an immigration judge, not an ICE official or police officer, has the power to officially remove a green card holder from the United States 🇺🇸.
- Green card holders can sometimes ask a judge for special forms of relief, such as waivers or cancellation of removal, if they meet certain requirements.
- The main reasons that often lead to green card holders being put into removal (deportation) proceedings are certain serious criminal convictions, immigration fraud, or drug offenses.
It’s important for those with green cards to know their rights if they are served a notice to appear, because mistakes do get made, and sometimes people who do not meet the grounds for removal are detained by mistake.
Detention Patterns: How Long Do Green Card Holders Stay Detained?
Not everyone who gets picked up by immigration enforcement will be held for a long period of time. But the length of detention can vary a lot:
- About 40% of people taken into custody by immigration enforcement are released within three days.
- By the end of the first month, around 70% have been released.
- However, 8% end up being held for three months or longer.
- A smaller group, about 3%, stay in custody even after six months.
The Michigan father’s story, being detained for nearly two months, shows how unpredictable and stressful these detention periods can be. While most people get out sooner, a significant number find themselves waiting weeks or even months for their cases to move forward.
Ironically, the people who have the strongest legal rights to stay in the United States 🇺🇸—like some green card holders with strong family and community ties—can end up spending the longest time locked up while their cases are decided. This is because their legal cases can be complex and slow to finish, especially if they are trying to fight removal in court.
The Human Toll of Immigration Enforcement
There are real, often heartbreaking, effects when someone like a Michigan green card holder is detained for a long time. Families worry and struggle without their loved ones, children can lose access to financial and emotional support, and jobs can be lost if the main breadwinner can’t work.
Stories from across the country show a similar pattern:
- Parents are separated from their children while they wait, sometimes without being able to tell their family where they are or when they might see them again.
- Lawful permanent residents who may have made one mistake decades ago find themselves being treated the same as someone who never had legal status.
- Even after serving sentences and making amends for their past mistakes, green card holders are sometimes detained without warning during routine activities like traveling or renewing documents.
These patterns stand as warnings to others in the immigrant community, creating fear even for those who have spent most of their lives in the United States 🇺🇸 and followed every step required by immigration law.
Context: Why Are These Cases Happening Now?
Since early 2025, the trend in immigration policy has moved toward tougher enforcement, as shown by cases like in Michigan and others around the nation. This is especially true for those with any kind of record, even a long-ago event that was fully resolved.
Immigration enforcement—run by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE—is following new policy directions that put greater focus on detaining and deporting green card holders with convictions. Even people who have been lawful permanent residents for decades are being picked up at airports, traffic stops, or even during check-ins with authorities.
Analysis from Michigan Public suggests that these actions connect to policy changes at the federal level, as officials seek to enforce stricter immigration laws and revisit the past convictions of many green card holders.
Legal and Emotional Challenges in the System
The legal proceedings themselves can be complicated, and many families struggle to understand what will happen next. The notice to appear process, the chance to argue in court, and the technical grounds for removal are all confusing if you don’t have legal help.
Many green card holders who face immigration enforcement are:
- Unsure about their rights and what steps they can take
- Worried about losing their status—and with it, their home and way of life
- Concerned about the effect detention and possible removal will have on their American children and spouses
In these moments, legal aid and community support become lifelines. Yet, even with help, waiting in detention for many weeks or months often causes serious mental and financial strain for law-abiding families.
How U.S. Immigration Courts Review Green Card Holder Cases
Once someone is in immigration court, several key factors come into play:
- Is There Enough Proof for Deportation?
- The judge must decide if there really is clear proof that the person can legally be removed.
- Sometimes, cases are based on very old or minor crimes, and judges have to look at whether these are enough for deportation.
- Can the Green Card Holder Fight the Removal?
- People with green cards can ask the judge for relief—basically, special permission to stay, based on length of residency, family ties, or evidence they have turned their lives around.
- Only a judge can decide to remove someone’s green card and order deportation; ICE cannot make this final call on their own.
- How Long Does It Take?
- These court cases are often slow. Sometimes, green card holders sit in detention for months or even over a year waiting for their day in court.
- According to TRAC Reports, the people who wait the longest in detention are often those with a strong case to stay.
- What Happens If the Person Wins?
- If a green card holder successfully fights their case and the judge rules in their favor, they are usually released and allowed to stay in the United States 🇺🇸.
- But the process can still leave both financial and emotional scars.
Why This Matters for Michigan and Other States
For many in Michigan, this story is personal. The state is home to thousands of green card holders, many from families that have been in the area for generations. When cases like this happen, local communities lose workers, volunteers, and neighbors. Families may become afraid to travel or check in with officials, for fear of being detained and separated.
The effects ripple out to schools, workplaces, and churches as well. Employers can lose needed workers, while schools and community groups worry about losing students to deportation. More broadly, the uncertainty caused by ongoing immigration enforcement weakens trust between immigrant communities and public officials.
The Policy Debate: Enforcement Versus Fairness
The spike in detentions and removals of green card holders raises questions about the right balance between keeping the country safe and treating long-term residents fairly.
Arguments in favor of strong immigration enforcement say that people who break the law, even if they have green cards, should face consequences. Others believe that punishing green card holders years after they completed their sentences is too harsh, especially for elderly people or parents with U.S. citizen children.
Public debate continues over these policies, with some calling for reforms that would:
- Limit the deportation of people with very old or minor convictions
- Protect green card holders with strong family and community ties
- Speed up court proceedings so people aren’t detained for long periods while their cases stall
Steps Green Card Holders Should Take
If you are a green card holder in Michigan or anywhere else in the United States 🇺🇸, there are some steps you can take to be ready, especially if you have any kind of criminal record:
- Consult an immigration lawyer, even if your conviction is old or seems minor.
- Keep your documents up-to-date and copies of your green card and records in a safe place.
- Be informed about your rights if questioned or detained by immigration enforcement. The official USCIS Green Card information page has resources for you.
- Notify your family and a trusted friend if you are at risk and tell them how to contact a lawyer.
Conclusion: The Continuing Impact of Immigration Enforcement
The story of the Michigan father, detained for nearly two months, reflects a larger national reality where lawful residents increasingly face immigration enforcement because of old convictions. While most green card holders avoid long stays in detention, for those caught in the system, the process brings confusion, anxiety, and disruption to their families and communities.
As enforcement policies continue to evolve, it is more important than ever for those in Michigan and across the country to stay informed, know their rights, and speak with legal professionals if they have concerns about their immigration status. Being proactive can help protect your family and your opportunity to continue building a life in the United States 🇺🇸.
For ongoing updates and in-depth analysis, VisaVerge.com offers clear information about these evolving immigration issues.
Learn Today
Green Card Holder → A person granted lawful permanent residency in the U.S., allowing them to live and work long-term.
Notice to Appear → An official letter informing someone of reasons for possible deportation and requiring them to appear before an immigration court.
Immigration Enforcement → Actions by authorities, like ICE, to detain or remove individuals violating immigration laws, including green card holders.
Cancellation of Removal → A special legal relief allowing some people in removal proceedings to keep their green card and lawful status.
Immigration Judge → A legal official who decides whether noncitizens, including green card holders, may remain in or must leave the U.S.
This Article in a Nutshell
A Michigan father, a lawful green card holder, endured nearly two months in detention due to policy shifts targeting green card holders with old offenses. This case highlights unpredictable outcomes, emotional strain, and ongoing legal complexities—emphasizing why all lawful permanent residents must understand their rights and consult legal experts in 2025.
— By VisaVerge.com
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