Is it bad to "show" your Green Card?

[medicalguy 11]

Not to offend the paranoid amongst us, I agree that the law requires your to carry your green card at all times. However, historically speaking, it is unheard of for someone to ask for your GC randomly going to a grocery store or going about your daily life, unless your daily life involves being close to borders, or work in areas where there is a high risk for ICE raids. There is even precedent that shows INS (former USCIS) did not prosecute people that were found without their Green Card:

"Kelly Spellman, spokeswoman with the agency. Spellman suggested that if immigrants choose not to carry the actual card, they should at least carry a photocopy."

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1999-11-02/news/9911010960_1_legal-immigrants-immigration-officials-green-card

If you are working in a place full of immigrant workers and potentially undocumented immigrants, or your live in an hostile environment to immigrants like southern border states like Arizona, then I strongly recommend that you carry your GC at all times. Use common sense.

[Sukie 1,464]

And here is the definitive answer from www.nolo.com

Question:

I just got my green card and friends have told me that I should keep it in a safe place at home instead of carrying it around with me in my wallet. Is this correct? Or do I have to carry my green card with me everywhere I go?

Answer:

If you are 18 or older, you do have to carry your green card with you. Section 264(e) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (I.N.A.) requires all lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to have “at all times” official evidence of LPR status.

Failing to have your green card with you is a misdemeanor and if you are found guilty you can be fined up to $100 and put in jail for up to 30 days. (I.N.A. Section 264(e).) A copy is not good enough, because the law does not use the word “copy” or refer to “other evidence” of LPR status.

The official evidence of LPR status that most people eventually receive is an “alien registration receipt card,” also known as Form I-551 or, more commonly, a “green card.” Sometimes, people do not have their green card, but are already LPRs. For example, when somebody first arrives in the U.S. with an immigrant visa, they first receive an “I-551 stamp” in their passport. Weeks later, they receive the actual green card in the mail. In the time before receiving the green card in the mail, the LPR would have to carry his or her passport “at all times” or risk breaking the law.

If you decide to carry a copy of your green card instead of the original because you want to keep the original safe, you will be violating the law. Will you actually be stopped by immigration, prosecuted and fined or jailed for not having your original green card with you? It's unlikely. Like any other government agency, immigration authorities have limited resources and cannot spend precious government time and money on prosecuting people for not carrying their green card “at all times.”

But there have been cases where LPRs are detained or arrested during workplace enforcement actions for not having their green card on them. So to be on the safe side, and obey the law, you should actually carry your green card with you everywhere you go. And it probably goes without saying that if you will be traveling internationally, you should take your original green card with you to board a plane or boat back to the U.S. and to reenter the U.S. as an LPR.

The original OP talked about "showing" her Green Card. Perhaps it is best to use a State ID if you need to be identified instead of a Green Card, due to current anti-immigrant feelings. But at least we know the answer about "carrying" it....

Sukie in NY

Edited January 30, 2016 by Sukie

[jam2016 10]

I had a GC for a while before I got my NC but I never had to show it to anyone because no one ever asked for it.

Even though I don't carry a GC with me, I have DL as photo ID proof, Credit and Debit Cards with Photo stamped on the card (BOA issued those before) with me all the time. So, to get any law enforcement wants to see your GC for daily routine is really suspecting that you are here illegally. As any reasonable law enforcement officer would allow you to obtain your GC from your home or the safe place you keep it as long as you state that you are LPR and you have it kept safely and you can obtain it for proof.

Now, the law said "In your possession". I believe it means more like that you are not to loan / rent / borrow it to anyone. You must have it at your possession or place that you know where to obtain from. Or you must report if the card is lost or stolen.

If you have to carry it at all times, how do one carry it during private times with your other half, bed time, shower time, and the nature call?

In those very unfortunate circumstances, there is a slim chance ICE could raid your adobe and you can't have it with you to prove that you are LPR?

Now, on another note - physically losing a GC is a headache that is fixable with getting a new one. But losing your IDENTITY due to the handheld RFID card reader from the unscrupulous people in the crowd is a really worrying circumstances. GC do have a lot of your private info and much more than the State ID or DL. If you lose your private data and identity even if you don't physically lose your card, you are putting a lot of problems for your immigration status and on the Government.

Anyone ever imagine a 1000 LPR calling / writing / infopass appointment at USCIS effects on the ever busy USCIS office because their immigration data has been stolen?

Anyway, those who wants to have their GC on their body at all times, you should look into RFID safe wallets.

Debates are welcome, of course!

Edited January 30, 2016 by jam2016

[jam2016 10]

If you are working in a place full of immigrant workers and potentially undocumented immigrants, or your live in an hostile environment to immigrants like southern border states like Arizona, then I strongly recommend that you carry your GC at all times. Use common sense.

+1 to that statement. Use common sense, folks! If you live near borders / high immigrants community (legal or otherwise), use a common sense and have a GC in your wallet when you go outside. But invest in the RFID safe wallets for about $5 and kept your ID/GC/CC in it.

Save / Protect your private info and the Taxpayer $ at the same time for not having to complicate the Government for your stolen private data.

Edited January 30, 2016 by jam2016

[jam2016 10]

Reading some posts here, I need to ask how one would go about the problems with the Law Enforcement Officers or ICE during the time you actually lost your GC?

Let's say you just loses it yesterday and ICE stops you the next morning, it's undeniably you are in BIG trouble!

If you loses it, it's apparent you won't have it with you at all and does law enforcement officer suppose to believe it that you lost it last night?

Would they be able to check and decide if you are LPR from your state ID from the Government database?

[La Souris 19]

Reading some posts here, I need to ask how one would go about the problems with the Law Enforcement Officers or ICE during the time you actually lost your GC?

Let's say you just loses it yesterday and ICE stops you the next morning, it's undeniably you are in BIG trouble!

If you loses it, it's apparent you won't have it with you at all and does law enforcement officer suppose to believe it that you lost it last night?

Would they be able to check and decide if you are LPR from your state ID from the Government database?

You then lost your card, not your status. They can certainly look you up - otherwise, why bother keeping biometrics and other files on immigrants.

My card is locked in a safe at home, unless I'm traveling (internationally or out of the Northeast), or I know I'll need to show it. My husband and my lawyer both know where to find it, that's sufficient for me.

[SennaBrigante 92]

I keep mine in my wallet, safe in the RFID protective paper sleeve it came with. We live in a high illegal immigrant area in tornado alley. I want to be able to just grab my purse and toddler and have all ids in there instead of having to open a safe.

[NikLR 13,228]

I keep mine in my wallet, safe in the RFID protective paper sleeve it came with. We live in a high illegal immigrant area in tornado alley. I want to be able to just grab my purse and toddler and have all ids in there instead of having to open a safe.

That's understandable but you should invest in a RFID wallet, not just the paper sleeve.

It's still ridiculous that the USA hasn't gotten with the times and implemented chips for everything. In Canada I had a chip card for parking meters!

We still have dollar bills here because vending machine owners don't want to have to change their machines to accept $1 coins.