Cuban is jailed while applying for a green card because it was discovered that he was hiding information about his criminal record.

"They're looking closely": Authorities have stepped up controls, and each procedure is now much more rigorous.

A Cuban citizen was arrested in Kentucky after submitting a green card application to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and omitting key information about his criminal record.

The case was disclosed by the federal agency itself as an example of its new policy of stricter oversight under the Trump administration.

According to USCIS's official account on the social network X (formerly Twitter), an official discovered during the review of the file that the applicant had active arrest warrants in Florida.

After the discovery, the individual was arrested by local police in the same state where he was attempting to complete the immigration process.

A Cuban national on the run in Ky. was apprehended by local law enforcement after a USCIS officer reviewing his green card application discovered arrest warrants in Fla. Every day USCIS officers help to make America safer by preventing fraud in our lawful immigration system. pic.twitter.com/teejHAYLqW

- USCIS (@USCIS) April 21, 2025

USCIS intensifies surveillance of immigration fraud

The agency's message emphasizes that these types of detections are part of the daily work of its officers, who, according to the agency:

“They help make the United States a safer place by preventing fraud in the legal immigration system.”

The Cuban's arrest is part of a series of recent actions promoted by USCIS to identify and curb immigration irregularities. Days earlier, another operation resulted in the arrest of a foreign national who, during an adjustment of status interview, admitted under oath to having entered into a marriage of convenience to obtain a green card. That case was resolved jointly with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Arrests in immigration offices: a new practice

This isn't the first time USCIS has made arrests at its own offices. The agency had previously reported the case of another Cuban who was arrested inside its headquarters in Hialeah, on an outstanding warrant. "He's behind bars and the United States is safer," USCIS announced triumphantly.

Under Trump's immigration policy, the agency has strengthened its collaboration with ICE through data sharing and risk analysis, in addition to creating a national registry of undocumented immigrants. Severe penalties have also been announced for those who fail to voluntarily report, including fines and prosecution.

The underlying message is clear: the current administration is determined to pursue all forms of immigration fraud. And Cubans face an environment of maximum surveillance, even when they seek to regularize their status.