For roughly 100 days, Thomas says he faced harsh detention conditions, despite agreeing to deportation
Thomas, a 35-year-old tech worker and father of three from Ireland, came to West Virginia to visit his girlfriend last fall. It was one of many trips he had taken to the US, and he was authorized to travel under a visa waiver program that allows tourists to stay in the country for 90 days.
He had planned to return to Ireland in December, but was briefly unable to fly due to a health issue, his medical records show. He was only three days overdue to leave the US when an encounter with police landed him in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) custody.
From there, what should have been a minor incident became a nightmarish ordeal: he was detained by Ice in three different facilities, ultimately spending roughly 100 days behind bars with little understanding of why he was being held – or when he’d get out.
I see now, you’re offended about my opinion of America being the shit in the shit sandwich.
Ok, I’m willing to flex a little on that. It is currently shitty for some travelers, specifically ones who are not white or wealthy, in ways that it has not been previously. Overall, it has some opportunities for residents that may be better than other countries.
Likewise, Mexico has some problems for poor residents that sometimes make them choose to seek a better life elsewhere. As a travel destination though, I stand by my opinion that it is a good place to visit.
Happy?