U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) apprehends an Irish woman who has lived in the United States for many years, due to a decades-old criminal record that was previously expunged.
Rewritten Article:
Title: A 54-year-old Irish Woman's Long Decade in the U.S. Disrupted by ICE
Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish expat living in the US for over four decades, finds herself entangled in a heated immigration dispute with ICE over a 20-year-old, supposedly expunged criminal conviction.
Living in California's Santa Cruz since her childhood, Cliona Ward, who hails from Dublin, has a green card. Unfortunately, her peaceful life took an unexpected turn on 19 March when she was apprehended by ICE upon returning from a trip to Ireland to visit her ailing father.
According to the account provided by her sister, Orla Holladay, on a fundraising platform, Ward was handled like a dangerous convict, causing her immense humiliation, shame, and demoralization.
Following her initial detainment, Ward was asked to prove that her two-decade-old conviction had been cleared. However, when Ward presented her documents to ICE officials in San Francisco airport on 21 April, she was detained once again. As per Holladay, Ward followed the rules and was intentionally tricked into custody under the guise of an administrative meeting.
Ward has a past filled with substance-related offenses, including two felonies for drug possession and four misdemeanors. Holladay contends that her sister has been sober for 20 years and is now an upstanding member of the community.
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Local representative, Jimmy Panetta, shared his discontent, stating, "As a former gang prosecutor, I can appreciate the need for deporting dangerous criminals. Nevertheless, the detainment of Cliona Ward, a middle-aged woman and permanent resident for decades, over seemingly expunged crimes is unacceptable."
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade have confirmed their awareness of the issue and are providing support. Meanwhile, the Irish Prime Minister, Micheál Martin, voiced his concerns, affirming that individuals entitled to US residency and citizenship rights should not face such complications.
Under President Donald Trump's administration, hard-line immigration policies have been implemented, resulting in increased incidents of Europeans being detained by ICE without clear reasons.
- Despite living in the United States for over four decades and being a green card holder, Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish woman, was detained by ICE upon her return from Ireland, due to a 20-year-old, supposedly expunged, criminal conviction.
- Ward's sister, Orla Holladay, stated on a fundraising platform that her detention caused immense humiliation, shame, and demoralization, as she was handled like a dangerous convict.
- In San Francisco airport on 21 April, when Ward presented her documents to ICE officials to prove that her conviction had been cleared, she was detained once again, allegedly under the guise of an administrative meeting.
- Local representative, Jimmy Panetta, expressed his discontent, stating that while he understands the need for deporting dangerous criminals, the detainment of Cliona Ward, a middle-aged woman and permanent resident for decades, over seemingly expunged crimes is unacceptable.
