A British woman has been arrested by ICE agents in front of her husband and newborn child while trying to get her green card.
Katie, 33, and her husband, Stephen Paul, 33, were at the San Diego U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services office, where Katie was undergoing the final steps of her green card approval.
She first went out to California in September 2024 to meet up with her then long-distance boyfriend.
The couple then tied the knot during her visit in the following month after finding out that they were expecting their first child together.
Initially, she was planning to fly back to the UK, but when Katie found out she was expecting, she decided to stay in the US due to it being a high-risk pregnancy.
She was allowed to remain legally in the US while applying for the green card because she married Stephen, who is an American.
Her sudden arrest has left her Surrey-based mum, Jules Peters, 55, ‘distraught’.
‘We are in absolute pieces, there is just nothing we can do. Katie is in shock; she just can’t believe that this has even happened to her,’ she said.
‘She loves living in the US, even after all this, she just wants her life with her husband and baby.’
Jules added: ‘They had spoken to an immigration lawyer who said they can apply for a green card while living in the US because they are married.’
A Green Card, also known as a Permanent Resident Card, allows non-citizens to live and work in the country permanently.
Katie’s mum said they were in the process of getting everything signed in the centre when ICE agents arrested her.
‘My daughter had my six-month-old grandson in her arms while they did this. I got a message at 7pm our time on Thursday from Katie, she said, ‘mum, ICE are going to detain me’,’ Jules said.
What can ICE detain green card holders for?
Though Katie had not yet secured her green card, she was legally allowed to remain in the United States while awaiting the proper documentation.
ICE has been targeting those in the process of getting green cards, as well as those who already hold them.
The law says ICE can detain and try to deport green card holders with convictions for:
- Any false claim to citizenship, including in situations that are not about immigration, like applying for a driver’s license
- Any offence involving drugs, including marijuana (even if legal in your state)
- Any offence involving guns
- Any offence involving domestic violence, child abuse, or violation of an order of protection
- Two offences that involve dishonest or ‘immoral’ behaviour, such as theft or shoplifting, assault with intent to injure, or fraud; or one such offence, depending on the possible sentence
- Any offence called an ‘aggravated felony,’ which includes a long list of types of offences, mostly (but not all) felonies requiring a sentence of one year or more, including suspended sentences
Katie is currently in a detention centre, but has been able to FaceTime her mum. Jules said Katie is in ‘complete shock’ and hopes that her daughter will be out by Thanksgiving.
‘The people in the centre aren’t treating her badly, but we just can’t believe this is happening,’ Jules said. ‘She has anxiety and is feeling really, really low; she just wants to be with her husband and baby.’
In a statement, ICE said: ‘Individuals unlawfully present in the United States, including those out of status at federal sites such as USCIS offices, may face arrest, detention, and removal in accordance with U.S. immigration law.’
Donald Trump has increased the number of immigration raids as part of his policy during his second term.
Last week, he expanded his administration’s immigration raids to more cities, setting his sights on Charlotte, North Carolina.
Federal agents first entered Charlotte last weekend, targeting churches, apartments and other areas.
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