SAN DIEGO (Border Report) — In recent years, many green card holders have moved to Tijuana to escape soaring housing prices in California.
Until a few months ago, this migration had created a rental shortage south of the border while driving prices up.
But ever since President Trump took office, the trend has reversed with many deciding to move back for fear of losing their legal resident status in the U.S.
Shortly after taking office, Trump issued a warning to green card holders reminding them about the need to live permanently in the United States.
According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, while temporary travel is permitted, extended absences can result in losing permanent resident status.
This is forcing many to move back to California, decreasing rental prices in Tijuana while creating a glut of available units, according to Leonardo Topete Sánchez, member of Mexico’s Professional Real Estate Association.
“The United States government has made it very clear: ‘Live in the United States or lose your privileges.’ This is having a negative impact on the real estate market,” Topete Sánchez said. “Property owners lose a lot of money if a house or apartment sits vacant or can’t sell for a long time, that’s when they’re having to drop prices.”
Topete Sánchez told the El Sol Newspaper in Tijuana that many areas of the city have a high number of vacancies, especially in the south and east sides.
“In general, there is a lot of uncertainty. To say it’s time to we find another route is very hard,” he said. “We’ve reached a point that in our geographical area, that used to be very profitable, has become an issue due to the political policies being implemented by our neighboring country. These are not very favorable for us.”
The Trump administration has warned that it is also monitoring green card holders’ social media and criminal histories.
According to USCIS, it now has special agents that are able to make arrests, execute search warrants and carry firearms, signaling a move toward more aggressive enforcement.
It also says if a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer determines a green card holder has had an extended absence from the U.S., it could be interpreted as someone who has abandoned their intent to reside permanently in the United States, creating a reason to have resident status revoked.
Additionally, continuous absences of six months or more can disrupt the residency requirement for naturalization, keeping someone from becoming a U.S. citizen.
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