German national Fabian Schmidt, 34, a valid green card holder residing in New Hampshire, was detained by immigration officials at Boston's Logan Airport on March 7 upon his return from Luxembourg.
Newsweek reported that Schmidt, who has lived in the U.S. since his teens, was allegedly arrested, strip-searched, and violently interrogated before being transferred to the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island. According to Newsweek, his family said they are unaware of the reasons for his detention, despite his recently renewed green card and lack of active court cases.
Mr Schmidt's partner had gone to pick him up from the airport but waited four hours before notifying authorities when he failed to arrive. The family is demanding answers about his detention and is working to secure his release.
"It was just said that his green card was flagged," said Astrid Senior, his mother. She said her son was subjected to humiliating and abusive treatment by immigration officials. She alleged that he was "violently interrogated", forcibly stripped naked, and then subjected to a cold shower.
"He hardly got anything to drink. And then he wasn't feeling very well and he collapsed," she said.
According to Newsweek, Ms Senior explained that her son's green card had been legally reissued in 2023 after he reported losing his previous one. However, despite holding a valid, newly issued green card, his travel document was flagged when he attempted to reenter the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs, Hilton Beckham, denied the allegations. "These claims are blatantly false with respect to CBP," he told Newsweek. He further suggested the incident may be linked to drug charges, stating, "When an individual is found with drug-related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action."
"If statutes or visa terms are violated, travellers may be subject to detention and removal. Due to federal privacy regulations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot disclose details about specific cases," Beckham added.
Mr Schmidt's detention has sparked outrage over Trump's immigration policies, raising concerns about lawful residents being detained and the potential misuse of immigration enforcement.
President Donald Trump’s campaign emphasised a tough stance on immigration, primarily targeting undocumented individuals with criminal records. However, recent cases suggest that even green card holders and immigrants without serious criminal offences may face ICE scrutiny.
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