What brought Thomas—an accomplished, 34-year-old engineer from Ireland—to such a dark place? After overstaying his U.S. visa, he survived the eviction deadline by only three days, a narrow escape that became a terrifying ordeal. The event has sparked national outrage over how the U.S. immigration system dehumanizes noncitizens. This is especially troubling for people who have flown without incident all their lives. Thomas worked for a large tech firm in Ireland and frequently traveled to the U.S. for work. He accessed the Visa Waiver Program, which permits tourists to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days.
In March, a violent clash occurred outside the hotel where he was lodged. This arrest forced his detention by local police and subsequently by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In and out of three separate facilities, Thomas ended up spending nearly 100 days in jail. At that point, he was deported to Ireland and given a ten-year exclusion from the U.S.
Timeline of Events Leading to Detention
Thomas’s ordeal began innocuously enough. He visited the U.S. many times without incident. The visa waiver program allowed him to explore business opportunities and relax in his free time. On his most recent visit, a fight in his motel room turned volatile very fast and led to police being called on him.
After local law enforcement arrested him on charges of indecent exposure, U.S. immigration officials took custody of Thomas. He was then moved nearly 100 miles up the state line to an ICE processing center in Folkston, Georgia. This set into motion a shocking and cruel detention process that included six months of painful uncertainty about his future.
Thomas endured brutal conditions during his stay in detention. This was because of a small immigration infraction from an accidental overstay. He recalls having been treated in the way BoP inmates are today. The staff really didn’t understand why they were there, and you could tell. His plight then grew dire after his transfer to a Bureau of Prisons (BoP) facility. There, he experienced conditions that he said were worse even than ICE detention.
Conditions of Detention
Thomas’s firsthand accounts of his experience in detention provide a chilling portrait of life behind bars. He was forced to share a small cell with another detainee, and subjected to strict limitations on even basic necessities. “We could only flush the toilet three times in an hour,” he recounted. Time outside was just as limited. Detainees got about one hour of outdoor time per week.
The absence of effective medical care made these terrible circumstances even worse. As Thomas recounted, “I heard people crying for doctors, saying they couldn’t breathe, and staff would just say, ‘Well, I’m not a doctor,’ and walk away.” These experiences made him doubt his own safety and that of his fellow detainees.
Thomas’s case is an extreme example, but it underscores a critical issue with our immigration system. As a result, thousands of people get caught in extended judicial purgatory over simple infringements. He warned that nobody is safe from the system once they are caught in it. This brings to light very troubling questions as to the arbitrary nature of detentions/deportations.
Aftermath and Future Implications
After more than almost three months incarcerated, Thomas was eventually released on bond. Soon after, U.S. immigration authorities re-detained him almost immediately. He encountered these increasing pressures and began having difficulty with his precarious “on the edge” immigrant status. In the end, he signed a deportation form consenting to his removal from the U.S. on December 17.
This traumatic experience has left Thomas dealing with the harsh realities of not knowing where his future lies. I’ll never get over it, he said. It certainly will take me a long time to even begin unpacking all that I experienced. It still doesn’t feel real. When I think about it, it’s like a movie I’m watching.
This incident is more than Thomas’s personal mental health issues. It raises two important issues of how U.S. immigration, especially with respect to foreign-born nationals. Sirine Shebaya, an attorney advocating for immigrant rights, stated, “It seems completely outlandish that they would detain someone for three months because he overstayed a visa for a medical reason.”
As advocates call for reforms in the immigration system, many remain fearful about the future of others who may find themselves caught in similar situations. Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock expressed concern over current conditions in detention centers: “Now it’s just, do we have a bed?”