The arrest of a British citizen awaiting his green card while riding his bicycle in Havre, Montana, has ignited a nationwide discussion about federal immigration practices in the United States. Justin Grisb, who married U.S. citizen Carla Kenny in April, was stopped by a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer while shopping for the holidays, according to Newsweek.
Green Card Applicant Detained Despite Completing Process
Kenny explained that her husband immediately called her after the incident, reporting that he had been taken to the CBP office in Havre and was asked to bring his passport and official documents. Despite Grisb having completed all steps of the green card application process, including his biometrics appointment, authorities informed the family that he would be detained and potentially deported.
“I just want him released so he can come home to our family,” Kenny said, expressing concern over what she described as CBP having early access to personal information from both her and her husband’s green card application.
Legal Concerns Arise as Green Card Applicant Detained in Montana
Immigration attorney Randall Cudl noted that marriage-based green card applicants are legally allowed to remain in the U.S. while their applications are being processed. “Justin and Carla were following the process correctly. Yet CBP is pursuing individuals who are doing everything right. What’s happening now seems unreasonable and involves significant constitutional violations,” he said.
This incident comes amid a federal immigration program described by the Trump administration as the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history, affecting even immigrants with valid permits or legally filed applications.
Grisb is scheduled to be transferred to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, where he will appear before an immigration judge to determine whether he can return to Montana to complete his green card process or face deportation.
The case highlights tensions between federal immigration enforcement policies and the legal protections of immigrants seeking to complete their applications within the law, raising questions about the application of U.S. immigration regulations to compliant individuals.