Let’s Break This Down and what you need to understand about U.S. Border in 2025. So what the heck is going on at the borders of the United States?
Did you know that when you enter the United States, you have very limited rights? Nobody — apart from U.S. citizens— has the right to enter the United States. So every time you leave the country, you’re running a risk.
Now, let’s not overstate this: the risk is very small if your paperwork is in order and you’ve been lawfully present in the United States. But the problem under the Trump administration is that the rules of the game have been radically changed.
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Green Card Holders Are Being Detained at the U.S. Border in 2025
Legal permanent residents are getting turned around and sent back home for a variety of reasons.
Example #1: If you’re a permanent resident and you leave the U.S. for more than a year, you’re not supposed to come back in on your green card. Why? Because you’re considered to have abandoned your permanent residency — unless you got prior approval to stay out longer.
In the past, border officers would let you in with a document and send you to immigration court, where a judge would decide whether you gave up your green card.
But now? They just detain you at the border. You end up in immigration jail or detention until a judge can sort it out.
Visa Holders Are Being Denied Entry Over Political Content
Example #2: People with valid temporary visas — like H-1B workers — are being denied re-entry after traveling abroad.
One case involved a Lebanese physician who returned home and came back on her H-1B visa. At the port of entry, officers opened her phone, saw she had attended a political event, and turned her around.
That’s happening in the United States.
Some are prominent scholars, who weren’t even at protests — just wrote an article about Israel or Palestine, and the government didn’t like it. So they took their status away, arrested them, and sent them out of the country.
What Should You Do?
1. Don’t Travel Abroad If You Don’t Have To
If you’re not a citizen, my advice is: don’t travel, not until the dust settles and we know what the new rules of the game are.
2. Think About Your Devices
Your iPhone, your Android — these are recording devices. They listen, They see. And they don’t forget.
Even if you think you deleted something? The government can reactivate that memory.
That same Lebanese doctor? She thought she deleted her photos — but they were still found.
3. They’re Using Obscure Laws
The government — especially the Secretary of State and the President — are relishing turning people around. They’re using parts of the law that were never used this way before to detain people.
And we don’t know yet how far they’re going to take it.
Should You Travel If You Have to?
If you’re a permanent resident with a clean record and haven’t posted anything political — you’ll probably be okay. But there’s no guarantee.
So if you must go out, go — but know there’s a risk when you come back in.
How to Protect Yourself
- ✅ Become a citizen. They can’t deny entry to citizens (unless there’s fraud, and even then, they need to go through procedures).
- ✅ Travel with different devices — don’t bring your full iPhone or iPad.
- ✅ Be very careful about what you post, say, or carry on your phone.
- ✅ Have a backup plan — who are you going to call if something happens?
A Lawyer Can’t Save You at the US Border in 2025
Understand this: there’s no attorney who can run into a port of entry and help you. If you get turned around, you’ll be seeking legal help from overseas.
So: limit travel. Don’t bring sensitive devices. Be extremely careful. And know a good attorney you can call.
Need Help?
If you want more information, or want to reach out to us, the link below will let you contact our office. We’ll look at your case and tell you honestly if we can help.
But please — stay informed. Take precautions. And don’t assume you’ll be fine just because you “followed the rules.”
James Martin, Immigration Attorney