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.

  • BeardedBlaze@lemmy.worldEnglish
    491·
    23 days ago

    You believe this was the first time she traveled to and from Ireland in he past 40 years?

    Lol

    • athairmor@lemmy.worldEnglish
      223·
      23 days ago

      It’s possible I know a guy from Ireland who lived in the US illegally for decades. He never went home for fear of not being allowed back in.