U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained San Diego community members on overstayed visas who attended green card interviews at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services offices. These detentions mark a shift in how ICE and USCIS respond to green card applicants who have overstayed a visa. Previously, ICE classified these individuals as a lower priority for arrest.
USCIS lists eight different green card types. The process for approval varies by type, with the longest average approval time being 11 months. An interview is the last step of the application process before receiving a decision.
According to KPBS, it is very common for visas to expire during this decision period. Immigration lawyers state that ICE has claimed the most common reason for the USCIS interview arrests has been due to overstayed visas.
President Donald Trump previously stated that ICE would go after “the worst of the worst” by focusing deportation efforts on immigrants without proper documentation who have committed crimes. However, recent data from CBS shows a 2000% increase in detentions of people with no criminal record.
Individuals arrested at USCIS interviews in San Diego are being transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center, a federally contracted facility. According to the Department of Homeland Security’s 2024 ICE budget report, it costs approximately $150 per day to have someone detained at a detention facility.
An ICE spokesperson provided a statement regarding the arrests to CBS 8.
“ICE is committed to enforcing federal immigration laws through targeted operations that prioritize national security, public safety, and border security,” the statement read. “Individuals unlawfully present in the United States, including those out of status at federal sites such as USCIS offices, may face arrest, detention, and removal in accordance with U.S. immigration law. For those residing illegally in the country, self-deportation remains the safest and most efficient option, and tools such as the CBP Home app are available to assist individuals in navigating the self-deportation process.”
Deportation rates continue to increase under the Trump administration, and NBC reports that ICE arrests have nearly doubled since he took office.