An Irish woman, Cliona Ward, was released after spending 17 days in custody, having been detained by US immigration authorities due to a criminal record from nearly 20 years ago.
The 54-year-old, who has lived legally in the United States for many years, was released from an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Tacoma, Washington, on Wednesday.
Ward was apprehended at San Francisco airport on April 21 after visiting her ailing father in Ireland. Her detention sparked protests both in Ireland and the US, leading to a campaign for her release.
A California judge recently ruled in favor of applying to have her original conviction overturned at the federal level, facilitating her release, according to Ward’s legal team.
While she expressed gratitude for the support she received, her sister, Orla Holladay, noted that Ward is now in recovery. “Cliona is finally back in her bed, and we’re all just quiet, ready to reflect,” she said.
Erin Hall, a lawyer based in Washington, shared that the relief over Ward’s release is palpable among her supporters.
Originally from Dublin, Ward moved to the US as a child, acquiring a green card, attending the University of California, Santa Cruz, and currently working for a nonprofit organization while caring for her son, a U.S. citizen, who has chronic health issues.
Her past issues with drug possession and misdemeanors from 2007 and 2008 had been erased at the state level but still posed challenges during the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
This year, she traveled to Ireland with her stepmother and visited her father, who suffers from dementia. Upon her return to the US on March 19, she was detained for three days.
After being released temporarily to gather documents related to an older conviction, she was taken back into custody on April 21 at San Francisco Airport.
The incident drew comments from Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, and US representative Jimmy Panetta, a Democrat from California.
Holladay expressed her appreciation for the support, emphasizing the significant impact it had on saving her sister’s life.
During the last election, Trump promised a sweeping deportation effort, but the reality of enforcement has caught many off guard, affecting documented immigrants and citizens alike.
In recent memory, cases like Jasmine Mooney’s, who was held for two weeks, have also come to light.
German tourist Jessica Brosch experienced more than six weeks in detention, part of which included isolated confinement, as she was suspected of planning to work as a tattoo artist without the appropriate visa. Another case involved British graphic artist Rebecca Burke, who faced three weeks in custody due to visa issues.
According to US government data, there has been an 11.6% drop in overseas visitors to the US compared to last year, with a notable 17.2% decrease in travelers from Western Europe.
