Can ice arrest green card holders without a warrent?
Executive summary
ICE can and does arrest lawful permanent residents (green card holders) in the interior and at locations such as USCIS offices when agents have probable cause or an arrest authority; green card status does not categorically bar arrest or detention, and recent reporting shows ICE arresting applicants at green-card interviews in San Diego starting Nov. 12, 2025 [1] [2]. Legal advocates stress limits on ICE authority — e.g., protections around “sensitive locations” were narrowed in 2025 and guidance on warrants remains central to rights at the door — but available reporting documents both interior arrests and high detention numbers in 2025 rather than a blanket prohibition on arresting LPRs [3] [4] [5].
1. What the law and practice say about ICE arrests of green card holders
U.S. immigration law allows ICE to arrest noncitizens, including lawful permanent residents, when the agency believes a person is removable — for example, based on criminal convictions, fraud, or other grounds for deportation — and ICE can place such people into immigration detention while removal proceedings proceed [4] [6]. Legal explainer reporting and advocacy groups note that green card holders have defenses and constitutional protections, but being an LPR does not provide absolute immunity from arrest or detention when ICE alleges deportable conduct [4] [6].
2. Warrants, “sensitive locations,” and ordinary Constitutional protections
Know-your-rights guidance for immigrants emphasizes the difference between arrests made with a judicial arrest warrant and actions at the door or in public: individuals do not have to consent to entry without a valid warrant, and legal-aid materials counsel silence and requesting counsel if ICE appears [3] [7]. At the same time, policy changes in 2025 narrowed “sensitive location” protections (e.g., schools, hospitals, some USCIS offices), which advocates say increases the chance that ICE will detain people in places that previously were treated as off-limits — a change cited by immigration attorneys observing recent arrests [8] [1].
3. Recent reporting: arrests during USCIS green-card interviews in San Diego
Multiple local outlets and immigration lawyers reported that ICE arrested several green-card applicants at USCIS interviews in San Diego beginning Nov. 12, 2025; attorneys characterized the practice as unprecedented and alarming because many arrested people had no violent criminal history and had passed prior background checks in their application process [1] [2] [9]. ICE defended the actions as targeted enforcement prioritizing national security and public safety, while lawyers said many arrests cited visa overstays as the reason and questioned the necessity [1] [2] [9].
4. How common are arrests and who’s held in ICE custody
Federal and watchdog data show large detention populations in 2025 — for example, reporting finds tens of thousands held in ICE custody (figures cited: ~58,766 as of Sept. 15, 2025 or 65,135 as of Nov. 16, 2025 in different trackers) and a substantial share with no criminal convictions, which advocates point to when criticizing broad interior enforcement [10] [5]. Migration Policy’s explainer also notes that ICE cannot detain everyone it identifies because detention capacity is limited, so not all removable noncitizens are held [4].
5. Where disagreements and legal uncertainty remain
Immigration attorneys, nonprofits, and local reporters interpret recent arrests differently: lawyers in San Diego call arrests at USCIS interviews an escalation and historically unusual tactic, while ICE frames them as lawful, targeted operations [2] [1] [9]. Legal clinics and civil-rights organizations stress limits on ICE authority and recommend carrying immigration documents and consulting counsel, but available sources do not provide a definitive, single-court ruling that settles whether these specific interview arrests always complied with warrant or procedural requirements [3] [7] [1].
6. Practical takeaways for green card holders and applicants
Authorities and legal-aid guides advise green card holders to carry their LPR card, keep counsel informed, and avoid consenting to searches or allowing entry without a warrant [3] [7]. Given recent local incidents and policy shifts narrowing sensitive-location protections, attorneys urge heightened caution when attending USCIS appointments and recommend having an attorney or accredited representative available when possible [1] [8].
Limitations: reporting in the provided sources documents specific incidents, policy changes, and general legal frameworks but does not include a definitive judicial ruling on ICE’s authority to arrest at USCIS interviews in every circumstance; available sources do not mention a nationwide court decision overturning these tactics [1] [2] [4].