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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Sam Levin

Irish tourist jailed by Ice for months after overstaying US visit by three days: ‘Nobody is safe’

A federal penitentiary in Atlanta
Thomas was sent to an Atlanta federal prison for criminal defendants, even though he was detained on a minor immigration violation. Illustration: Guardian Design

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.

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