Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
2d ago

Irish Green Card Holder Released After 17-Day Detention Over Expunged Conviction

Cliona Ward, a long-time Santa Cruz resident, was freed after a judge ended her deportation case, spotlighting the impact of U.S. immigration enforcement policies on lawful residents.

(L): A photo from NBC News of Cliona Ward, a green card holder who has lived in the United States for more than four decades and was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection at San Francisco International Airport on April 21 upon her delivery of requested documents, her sister told Newsweek. (R): The Northwest Detention Center is shown, Wednesday, April 15, 2020, in Tacoma, Washington.
Howard Gee, owner of North Beach’s AB Fits, stands in the doorway of his shop on Grant Avenue.
Image
Image

Overview

  • Cliona Ward, a 54-year-old Irish citizen and green card holder, was detained on April 21 at San Francisco International Airport over a decades-old, expunged conviction.
  • After 17 days in an ICE detention facility, a California judge terminated her deportation proceedings on May 7, allowing her to return home to Santa Cruz.
  • Congressman Jimmy Panetta and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin advocated for Ward, highlighting the case as an example of overreaching U.S. immigration policies.
  • Ward’s detention underscores legal complexities where state-level expungements are not recognized under federal immigration law, leaving lawful residents vulnerable.
  • Ward’s family described her as traumatized but grateful following her release, with her case fueling broader debates on due process and immigration enforcement.