CBP Detains UK Citizen with Pending Green Card in Montana

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents detained Justin Grzeb, a United Kingdom citizen, while he was riding his bicycle and shopping for the holidays in Havre, Montana, on Thursday, November 24, 2025. Grzeb had married U.S. citizen Carla Kinney in April and filed a marriage-based green card application in September, including completed biometrics.

Federal agents cited a prior visa overstay as the reason for the arrest. Following the detention, Grzeb was transported to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington, to appear before an immigration judge who will decide if he faces deportation or can return to Montana.

Attorney Randall Caudle challenged the legality of the arrest, asserting that Grzeb was legally present in the U.S. while his application remained pending. Caudle characterized the detention as part of an aggressive trend by federal authorities to target individuals with pending applications to inflate deportation numbers, describing the actions as "massive constitutional violations."

This incident occurs as the Trump administration executes a large-scale deportation operation targeting immigrants, including those with valid documentation or pending legal status.