Amid the reckless immigration crackdown by Donald Trump, a tourist from Ireland has shared his nightmarish experience in the country, further showing how ruthlessly ICE is treating people even when they do not have any valid proof of their wrongdoings.
35 years old Thomas, a tech worker in Ireland had visited West Virginia last year to see his girlfriend. As reported by Irish Star, “Utilising a visa waiver permitting tourists up to 90 days in the States, Thomas’s plans to return to Ireland in December were thwarted by a health issue.”
However, just after a few days of his visa getting expired, Thomas got entangled with the police because of health related issues, which eventually led to his arrest by the ICE. Thomas was visiting his girlfriend Malone and because of a room disagreement in Savannah, Georgia, police were called and Thomas was charged on the basis of “falsely imprisoning” Malone even though she did not press any charges.
After he was bailed out, he was transferred to an ICE site 100 miles away in Folkston, Georgia. Talking about his experience, Thomas remembered that he spent almost 100 days while getting transferred from one facility to another and all this while he did not have any clear idea regarding when he will finally be released.
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After he eventually got released, Thomas headed back home in Ireland and told The Guardian, “Nobody is safe from the system if they get pulled into it.” He also described the harrowing condition of the ICE facilities as he kept getting transferred from one place to the other.
Moreover, despite his only crime being overstaying his visa, Thomas had to spend some time in a prison as well, which was operated by the U.S. Bureau of Prisons (BoP). He mentioned that the condition of the prison was even worse and basic amenities like food, water, and clothing were all scarce and in poor condition.
Talking about his experience there, Thomas said, “The staff didn’t know why we were there, and they were treating us exactly as they would treat BoP prisoners, and they told us that. We were treated less than human. They weren’t prepared for us at all.”
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Thomas, who has requested to be identified with a pseudonym for fear of further immigration issues, did not even commit a crime that heinous and it remains unclear why he was treated the way he was. Talking about his case, Sirine Shebaya, executive director of the National Immigration Project said, “It seems completely outlandish that they would detain someone for three months because he overstayed a visa for a medical reason.”
Shebaya further added, “It is such a waste of time and money at a time when we’re hearing constantly about how the government wants to cut expenses. It seems like a completely incomprehensible, punitive detention.”
Thomas finally managed to get back home in March and is currently under a decade long ban from America. He previously travelled to the country for work purposes but now remains uncertain of what will happen in regards to his professional requirements that need him to visit the US.
