Green card holders are not US citizens, but they're close to one. They're lawful permanent residents who have the right to live and work in the US. The New York Times reports there were 13 million of them in the US in 2023, and about 70% of them were eligible to become citizens—which happens after being a permanent resident for five years or being married to a citizen for three. As the Times explains, many of the 70% will never convert. The application fee is high and the process is involved: paperwork, interviews, and a civics exam. The difference between the two states hadn't seemed stark—but under Trump, some green card holders are finding out that's no longer the case.
The Times uses the story of Alfredo Orellana to drive home that point. The 31-year-old Virginia man has lived in the US since age 4 and is married to an American. In his early 20s, while struggling with drugs, he was convicted of trying to swindle a store out of $200. He was convicted, went to rehab, and discovered a passion for caring for people with developmental disabilities. For the past four years, he's had a transformative relationship with Luke Ferris, say the 28-year-old's mother. Ferris has severe autism, and Orellana cared for him 40 hours per week. But on his way back to the US in January after visiting his wife's relatives in El Salvador, Orellana was taken into custody by ICE at Dulles and ultimately flown in shackles to a Texas detention center, where he is still being held.
According to a DHS document viewed by the Times, that $200 "moral turpitude" crime could lead to his deportation; his court case is set for April 25. Historically, the government has largely chosen only to deport green card holders who committed serious crimes. Read the full story for much more, including Ferris' mom's take; she has flown to Texas to see Orellana. "How could anyone support getting rid of an amazing person providing a vital service to an American?" she says. (More green card stories.)
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