What crimes can lead to deportation for green card holders?
Executive summary
Crimes that commonly put lawful permanent residents at risk of deportation include convictions for “crimes involving moral turpitude,” aggravated felonies, certain drug offenses, and other serious or fraud-related crimes; recent reporting and legal summaries show administrations in 2025 have broadened enforcement and are prioritizing removals tied to criminal records and immigration violations [1] [2] [3]. Authorities and advocates disagree about scope: government sources emphasize national‑security and serious‑crime removals [4] [3], while legal aid groups warn that the net has widened to sweep in less serious cases and people with no convictions [5] [6].
1. What the law has traditionally said: moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, and more
Longstanding U.S. immigration law makes certain convictions deportable for green card holders: crimes involving “moral turpitude,” aggravated felonies, and a range of other criminal acts can trigger removal proceedings, and legal guides repeat these categories as the core criminal grounds for deportability [2] [7]. Practical consequences depend on timing (for example, some “moral turpitude” consequences were historically keyed to convictions within five years of admission) and on classification of the underlying offense under immigration statutes [7].
2. What changed in 2025: enforcement priorities and rule changes
Multiple 2025 developments expanded how enforcement agencies interpret and apply those long‑standing categories. Reporting on new immigration rules and agency directives says the 2025 administration broadened definitions tied to deportable offenses and increased emphasis on removing lawful permanent residents for past crimes and perceived threats [1] [4]. ICE statistics and administration statements show an enforcement push that prioritizes arrests and removals of noncitizens with criminal convictions, and has used tools such as expedited removal to accelerate some cases [3] [8].
3. Which specific crimes are now often singled out in practice
Journalistic and legal summaries in the current reporting flag drug‑related offenses and “serious crimes” as common drivers of deportation actions; fraud or misrepresentation tied to immigration benefits also figures prominently [9] [2]. Authorities have cited terrorism, gang violence, homicide, corruption and fraud as higher‑profile removal categories—cases that ICE highlights in its enforcement statistics [3] [4].
4. Dispute over scope: advocates say the net has widened
Advocates and some journalists report that enforcement has broadened beyond traditionally “serious” criminality. Coverage notes arrests and detentions of green card holders for petty or old offenses, and that significant numbers of people detained in 2025 had no criminal convictions—raising concerns about overreach, mistakes, and use of immigration detention as a default mechanism [6] [5]. Local and civil‑liberty sources argue prioritization has shifted from “dangerous criminals” toward producing higher deportation totals [5] [8].
5. Immigration violations and absence from the U.S. remain separate triggers
Beyond criminal convictions, immigration violations—such as entering without inspection, visa fraud, marrying fraudulently to obtain a green card, or spending prolonged continuous time outside the U.S. (commonly cited as 180 days or more)—also form separate grounds that can make a permanent resident deportable or inadmissible on return [2] [9] [7]. Several legal summaries in the reporting stress that immigration violations continue to be the most common reason for deportation even amid criminal‑case enforcement [10] [2].
6. Data, transparency and political context matter
Government releases and ICE statistics document a large number of arrests and removals tied to criminal convictions since 2025, while independent reporting and advocates point to policy choices—use of expedited removal, expanded definitions, and case reviews for millions of green card holders—that reflect political priorities [3] [1] [11]. Critics say those choices create incentives to prioritize numbers over targeted public‑safety removals; the administration frames changes as necessary to screen out criminals and protect communities [4] [5].
7. What the sources don’t settle and where to look next
Available sources do not mention a definitive, comprehensive list of every criminal offense that now triggers removal under the 2025 rules; instead they describe categories (moral turpitude, aggravated felonies, drug crimes, fraud) and policy shifts that broaden enforcement [1] [2]. For case‑specific answers—whether a particular conviction will make an individual deportable—legal analyses and immigration attorneys remain essential because classification depends on the statute, conviction record, timing, and recent administrative guidance [7] [2].
Limitations: this briefing relies solely on the provided reporting and legal summaries; readers should consult an immigration lawyer and primary agency guidance for case‑level advice (not found in current reporting).