Irish-American grandmother ‘overwhelmed’ after release from detention in US

By Gráinne Ní Aodha, PA

An Irish grandmother has spoken about her relief after US authorities dropped attempts to deport her and released her from prison.

Donna Hughes-Brown, 59, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Chicago airport after visiting relatives in Ireland and imprisoned for five months before her release.

Her detention was related to two overdrawn cheques, worth less than 80 US dollars (€68), made out to a grocery store and a petrol station more than 10 years ago.

Mrs Hughes-Brown is a green card holder who has lived in the US since she was a child.

She has aunts, uncles and cousins in Ireland, but said she would not be visiting them again until she is a naturalised US citizen.

“I’m still a little bit overwhelmed,” she told RTÉ News after being released.

“It’s fabulous, but I can’t help but think about everybody else who is still waiting.”

She said she was “fortunate” and her case had been resolved, but there were others who were still being detained.

She said that her faith, the support of her family in the US and in Ireland, as well as the Irish consulate in Atlanta, “got her through the lowest of the low”.

“It was a little dicey there for a minute, and when the guards came up and told me that I was going to be released, I wasn’t sure why.

“I just didn’t know why I was getting out that day, when it looked like it was going to, at a minimum, be at least a week before I could get out, and at most, anywhere between a month and six months.”

Asked about Donald Trump’s presidency, she said: “Donald Trump’s running platform was different to what the actuality of his presidency is.

“There is a lot of work to be done with immigration across the board, there is a huge disconnect.

“When Donald Trump served his prior term, I received a letter from him thanking me for taking such great care of a gentleman who is a Korean prisoner of war veteran.

“So, I have a personalised letter from Donald Trump telling me what a great person I was for doing this service for a service member of our country.

“And then he’s the same one that ended up having me detained.”