The permanent resident told authorities that a DMV worker said she could vote Published May 14, 2026 6:00AM (EDT) Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents are seen working as passengers wait in long lines outside of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on March 23, 2026. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images) This article originally appeared on ProPublica . Estelle, who’s long held permanent resident status in the U.S., is a veteran at navigating the reentry process when she returns from visiting relatives in her native France. But on her most recent trip through customs in mid-March, officers detained the 57-year-old Lawrence, Kansas, resident for 30 hours, forced her to spend the night in a holding cell on a concrete slab and threatened her with deportation. Why? Because she acknowledged under questioning by customs officers that she’d once voted in a local election, despite not being a U.S. citizen. A small number of cities in the U.S.…