The Green Card Law That Holders Should Start Paying Attention To

A 60-year-old lawful permanent resident in Chicago, Rueben Antonio Cruz, was ticketed $130 last week after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents found he wasn’t carrying his identification—a routine stop that ended without detention but signaled a renewed federal focus on enforcing a long-dormant rule, according to reporting by NBC Chicago and Chicago Tribune.

For decades, a little-known provision of federal law has required adult non-U.S. citizens to “at all times” carry proof of registration. That mandate, long unenforced, is now back in use under a Trump administration policy directing agencies to “faithfully execute the immigration laws.”

Newsweek contacted the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and attorneys for Cruz for comment via email outside of normal office hours on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

Under a renewed Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has begun citing lawful permanent residents for failing to carry their green cards—something technically required under federal statute but rarely enforced for decades.

Alexander, R. (2025, October 14). The Green Card Law That Holders Should Start Paying Attention To. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/the-green-card-law-that-holders-should-start-paying-attention-to-10876247

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