Permanent Resident Detained for 30 Hours After Admitting to Voting in Local Election

A 57-year-old permanent resident of the U.S. was detained for 30 hours at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in mid-March after customs officers questioned her about voting in a local election. The incident marks a rare but escalating enforcement action under policies targeting noncitizen voting.

Travelers wait at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, where a permanent resident was detained. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Detention and Alleged Threats

Estelle, a 57-year-old Lawrence, Kansas resident with long-standing permanent resident status, was held in a holding cell overnight on a concrete slab. Officers threatened her with deportation after she acknowledged voting in a November 2023 local election. Estelle, who asked that her last name not be used for safety reasons, had no prior criminal history and had not violated the terms of her green card.

Her attorney, Matthew Hoppock, stated that Estelle registered to vote in 2023 while renewing her driver’s license at a state motor vehicles department. She voted in a November 2023 election featuring city council and school board races, according to Douglas County records. Estelle did not participate in any subsequent elections.

Legal and Historical Context

Kansas and federal law require U.S. citizenship to register to vote. While some U.S. cities permit noncitizens to vote in local elections, Lawrence, Kansas, is not one of them. Immigration and election experts note that noncitizen voting is rare, yet enforcement actions like Estelle’s have increased under the Trump administration.

Kerry Doyle, a deputy general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security under the Biden administration, called Estelle’s case unprecedented. “It took them a whole lot of energy and effort to sift through all these things to find this needle in the haystack,” Doyle said. “And it is a needle in the haystack.”

Customs and Border Protection’s Role

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has historically not participated in election-fraud investigations. However, a transcript of Estelle’s interview, provided to ProPublica by her attorney, indicates that CBP officers had flagged her for special scrutiny and were aware of her voting history.

A CBP spokesperson confirmed that officers detained a woman matching Estelle’s description at Detroit Airport, placing her in removal proceedings. The spokesperson emphasized that voting illegally is a deportable offense and stated,

“The Trump Administration will continue to enforce our nation’s laws. Those who violate these laws will be processed, detained, and removed as required.”

Broader Implications

Estelle’s case underscores the heightened scrutiny faced by noncitizens, even those with permanent resident status, regarding voting eligibility. While the CBP did not respond to questions about whether officers now routinely question noncitizen travelers about voting at ports of entry, her detention highlights the potential consequences of misinformation or administrative errors in voter registration processes.