Green card holders warned after viral video alleges confiscation and deportation at LAX

A viral TikTok video is warning green card holders about potential risks at the airport after a woman claimed her niece had her green card confiscated at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Advocates are now sharing advice to help permanent residents understand their rights and what to avoid when traveling abroad.

In a TikTok video that has gained over 2.5 million views, a woman alleges that her niece, a nursing student and green card holder, was deported upon returning to LAX from Laos.

“Customs stopped her, took away her green card, cut the corner off, put her in a room with three other people, and told one of them that if you’ve been a green card holder for less than two years and leave the U.S. they won’t let you back,” the woman argues. “They take away your green card.”

Immigration attorney Jose Osorio, who is not involved in the case, told FOX11 that green card holders can generally travel abroad for up to 180 days without issue. However, he warns that some travelers face pressure upon reentry into the U.S. to sign documents such as the I-407 form.

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Form I-407, issued by the Department of Homeland Security, is known as a “Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status.”

Filling out the I-407 voluntarily relinquishes a person’s lawful permanent resident status in the U.S.

“They can be interrogated alone, without legal counsel, and sometimes, due to misinformation or desperation, they unknowingly sign away their rights,” Osorio said.

“Bottom line—know your rights,” Osorio said. “Don’t sign anything waiving them. If you don’t understand it, don’t sign it.”

Only an immigration judge has the authority to revoke a person’s resident status. However, if someone unknowingly signs away their rights at the airport, reversing the decision becomes extremely difficult.

FOX 11 reported that the outlet has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for comment, but they have not responded.

Many social media users are cautioning against signing the form.

“If they ask you to sign an I-407, don’t do it,” one man advises. “You have the right to request to see an immigration judge.”

Another person adds, “So many people sign documents without reading them. That’s why I’m putting this out today—make sure you don’t sign anything.”

BY YOUNGNAM KIM [kim.youngnam@koreadaily.com]