Green Card

A Canadian lawful permanent resident was arrested by ICE on October 28, 2026, after allegedly voting in two U.S. federal elections by falsely claiming to be a U.S. citizen. Monique Gignac-Yochum had registered to vote in Wisconsin and cast ballots in 2022 and 2024 before relocating to Arizona — where federal agents tracked her down. The arrest is a stark reminder that green card holders are not U.S. citizens and face serious criminal and immigration consequences for voting.

Joyce Pitts, a Netherlands citizen and US green card holder, was arrested on October 19, 2026, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, after allegedly voting in the 2024 US election. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) opened the case in August 2026. The US Attorney's office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania has accepted the case for prosecution — and Pitts now faces potential removal proceedings that could end her permanent resident status.

Six people face federal charges in Massachusetts over a decade-long scheme that allegedly arranged hundreds of sham marriages, letting undocumented immigrants obtain green cards by paying up to $40,000 each. The US Department of Justice says the investigation is ongoing — and future charges could target the immigrants who received legal status through the fraud, not just those who ran it.

What if you accidentally registered to vote as a green card holder — and federal prosecutors are now coming after people who did exactly that? The U.S. Department of Justice charged 28 lawful permanent residents (LPRs) in California with election crimes, including fraudulent voter registration and making false statements in naturalization applications. Eleven have already been arrested, and each charge carries up to five years in prison.

A 59-year-old green card holder was arrested at the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas on September 28, 2026, after CBP officers found over 64 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in his van. For lawful permanent residents, a drug trafficking arrest is not just a criminal matter — it can permanently end their right to live in the United States.

A federal grand jury in Minneapolis indicted ten non-citizens on September 24, 2026, for voting illegally in US elections — some as recently as August 2026. ICE and USCIS led the investigation. Convictions on these charges can result in prison time and deportation, even for long-term residents.

You have a green card and have lived in the US for years — but if you ever registered to vote or cast a ballot, you could now face felony charges and potential deportation. Florida prosecutors, with help from USCIS, charged 16 lawful permanent residents with illegally voting in US elections, announcing the cases on September 29, 2026. Some defendants had been voting for decades without realizing the legal consequences.

How long does it take to get a green card decision from USCIS? Learn what affects processing time, how to check your case, and what steps to take.

Denied a green card and facing financial hardship? Learn how habeas corpus can help, step-by-step actions, legal grounds, and who qualifies.

What if you already filed a green card application based on a marriage — and that marriage wasn't real? Antonia-Beatrice Mircea, a 33-year-old Romanian citizen living in Atlantic City, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to commit marriage fraud after admitting she entered a sham marriage with a U.S. citizen to get permanent residence. Her case shows how USCIS, HSI, and the FBI work together to catch false claims — and what happens when they do.

You are a green card holder on a US university campus. You report threats, harassment, and doxxing to administrators — repeatedly, for two years. The day before federal agents arrest you at your apartment, you email the university president begging for help. No one acts. That is what Mahmoud Khalil says happened to him. On September 14, 2026, Khalil announced he has sued Columbia University, accusing it of deliberate indifference that he says directly enabled his March 2025 ICE arrest and the ongoing effort to deport him.

You use Medicaid, or your US-citizen child gets food stamps — and now a federal rule set to take effect September 18, 2026 could let an immigration officer use that to deny your green card. On September 14, 2026, a coalition of 22 states and Washington, DC sued the Trump administration to stop it. The outcome could affect millions of families already in the green card process.

Your relative agreed to sponsor your green card application, filled out the paperwork, and proved their income — and now USCIS wants to check their credit score too. As of August 31, 2026, USCIS added a new credit check section to Form I-864 (the Affidavit of Support), the document sponsors sign to promise the government they can financially support you. If your sponsor has a credit freeze, it could slow everything down.

Learn the full EB-2 green card timeline in 2026: PERM labor certification, I-140, and I-485 processing times, fees, and key steps explained.

Learn what form I-140 is, who needs it, how to file, and what fees apply. Step-by-step guide for employment-based green card applicants in the USA.