Overview

• Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish-born Green Card holder, was detained at San Francisco International Airport on April 21 over convictions from 2007–08 she believed were expunged.
• Ward, who has lived in the U.S. since age 12 and works for a non-profit, is being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, pending a May 7 immigration hearing.
• Her detention highlights expanded immigration enforcement policies under President Trump, targeting documented migrants with past convictions.
• Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin has pledged bilateral efforts to address the case, emphasizing the rights of Green Card holders under U.S. law.
• A GoFundMe campaign launched by Ward's family to cover legal fees has raised over $23,000 as public and political scrutiny grows over ICE detention practices.