Cliona Ward, who had returned from trip to Ireland, held over criminal record from almost 20 years ago

An Irish woman who has lived legally in the US for four decades has been detained by immigration officials for the last week because of a criminal record dating back almost 20 years.

Cliona Ward, 54, was detained at San Francisco airport on 21 April after returning from Ireland to visit her sick father and is being held at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) facility in Tacoma, Washington.

Ward holds a green card but has convictions for drug possession from 2007 and 2008, which she believed had been expunged, her family said.

  • khannie@lemmy.worldEnglish
    5·
    12 hours ago

    She married an Englishman and raised her kids there because Ireland in 1980 was not exactly thriving. She was around 20 when she left so definitely old enough to feel thoroughly Irish for a lifetime. She still has her accent and all.

    She does talk about moving back here occasionally.

    • Saik0@lemmy.saik0.comEnglish
      11·
      10 hours ago

      I dunno. I’m strongly a “home is where you make it” sort of thing. I couldn’t care less where I was specifically born. But to each their own I suppose.