A British woman faces the terrifying prospect of deportation from the United States after a routine visa interview took a shocking turn when she revealed she had voted for Donald Trump.
Emma, who is married to an American citizen and has lived in Florida for several years, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials immediately after the interview. She is now being held in a detention centre, separated from her husband and her life.
The situation erupted when an immigration officer, reviewing her application for permanent residency, asked about her political affiliations. Emma honestly disclosed that she had legally voted for the former president in the 2020 election, a right afforded to her as a green card holder at the time.
This admission appears to have been the catalyst for her detention. Her husband, John, is desperately campaigning for her release, stating the couple are "living in absolute hell" and completely blindsided by the decision.
He claims the voting question was a "trap" and asserts that Emma was unaware of the complex law that often prohibits non-citizens from voting in federal elections, even if they were permitted to do so at a state level. He insists her vote was cast in good faith, believing it to be her civic duty.
The case highlights the incredibly complex and often perilous landscape of US immigration law. While green card holders are sometimes allowed to vote in local elections in certain states, doing so in a federal election can carry severe consequences, including deportation and a permanent ban from re-entering the USA.
Emma's family are now working with lawyers and have contacted the UK Foreign Office for assistance, hoping to reverse a decision that threatens to tear their family apart.
