Trump administration updates USCIS rules: Green Card holders who voted to face deportation

The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is updating its policy manual to prevent green card-holding non-citizens who voted in U.S. elections or attempted to register from receiving citizenship. Under the new guidelines, USCIS will also initiate deportation proceedings against any green card holder who committed voter fraud or falsely claimed U.S. citizenship for any purpose or benefit.

“Illegal voting undermines the will of the American people and threatens the legitimacy of our elections,” USCIS spokesperson Matthew Tragesser told Fox News. “Under the leadership of President Trump and Secretary Noem, we are making changes to prevent and punish aliens who voted illegally in our elections from gaining U.S. citizenship.”

“Aliens who facilitate or perpetuate illegal voting face swift and severe consequences,” he added.

Currently, migrants applying for citizenship must demonstrate good moral character (GMC). The updated guidelines, effective Friday afternoon, specify that attempting to circumvent voter laws or unlawfully claiming to be a U.S. citizen constitutes a failure to meet GMC requirements, barring a migrant from applying for citizenship.

According to an internal leadership guidance memo, non-citizens failing GMC will receive a Notice to Appear (NTA) and may face criminal prosecution, as reported by Fox News. Applications for passports and driver's licenses will also factor into citizenship eligibility and trigger the deportation process if misused.

The policy follows President Trump’s March executive order, “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” which instructed the secretary of Homeland Security to access systems verifying the citizenship or immigration status of individuals registering to vote or already registered.

The executive order faced legal challenges, including a lawsuit by 19 Democratic attorneys general and rulings by federal judges in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., that blocked parts of the order concerning voter ID requirements. Judge Denise J. Casper, appointed by President Obama, ruled that “the Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.”

Despite setbacks, President Trump has remained focused on revising immigration policy. The tightened USCIS rules are part of a broader push to remove millions of illegal migrants who entered during the Biden administration.