A British-born father has been separated from his American wife and three-year-old twin sons after being detained by ICE during his Green Card interview. Connor Read, 29, originally from Chatham, Kent, has lived in Florida for more than two decades, spending most of his life in the United States.
He was taken into custody on June 3 due to insufficient permission to remain in the US and a removal order requiring his departure. His family is now in a race against time to stop his deportation. Connor is among over 51,000 undocumented migrants held in ICE facilities, the highest number since September 2019.
Detention During Interview
Connor and his wife Jaelin were at their Green Card interview when ICE officers executed the removal order. Despite having completed the first stage of the process with an approved I-130 petition, he was taken to Pinellas County Jail and later transferred to the Central Louisiana ICE Processing Centre on June 12.
Jaelin described the moment her husband was taken: "After a while, they called us back and introduced us to an ICE agent who explained Connor had been detained. I was an emotional mess and crying. I drove to my mom's house and just lost control."
Approved Petition but Ongoing Battle
Despite Connor's detention, Jaelin later learned his I-130 petition had been approved the same day. This allows the family to ask a judge to reopen his case, potentially stopping deportation and continuing the Green Card application. The process costs $4,000 (£2,981) just to reopen the case.
Jaelin said: "Connor's been here for 20 years. He went to school here and runs a business. I don't know why ICE has chosen now to detain. Things have got stricter under President Trump's administration."
Family History and Legal Issues
Connor moved to America at age eight with his mother, Claire Anders, and siblings. The family applied for Green Cards, but Claire alleges a fraudulent attorney mishandled their application, sending documents to a fake inbox. They discovered a removal order against them in 2017. The attorney was investigated but not prosecuted. Claire later obtained her Green Card after remarrying.
Claire said: "We know what ICE is like at the moment. They just want people without the right status out. We are in a race against time to get his case before a judge. It has not come as a shock."
Worst-Case Scenario
Jaelin said she would move to Britain with their children if Connor is deported: "My worst fear is having all this money put up and him still being deported. If we lose, we would have to close down our life here and start anew. I don't care what it takes to be reunited."
She added: "My children think their dad is at an entertainment park called Dinosaur World. We'll go with that because I don't know how to tell them what happened."
A GoFundMe has raised $5,553 (£4,139) of its $10,000 (£7,454) target. The British Consulate in Miami said: "We are supporting the family of a British man detained in Florida." The MP for Rochester and Strood, Lauren Edwards, said she was aware of the case and providing support.
