British Tourist Detained by ICE for Six Weeks Despite Valid US Visa
Karen Newton, a 65-year-old grandmother from Hertfordshire, embarked on what she thought would be the trip of a lifetime to the United States in late July 2025. With a British passport and a valid B2 tourist visa, she and her husband, Bill, 66, planned a two-month journey through California, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, and into Canada. However, their dream holiday turned into a nightmare when they were detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), leading to Karen being incarcerated for six weeks in conditions she describes as prison-like.
Karen Newton insists, "I am not a dangerous criminal. I don't even have parking tickets." A retired admin assistant with no criminal record, she was shocked to find herself handcuffed, shackled, and sleeping on the floor of a locked cell. Her ordeal began on 26 September 2025, when Canadian officials turned them back at the border due to incorrect paperwork for their car. Upon re-entering the US, border control agents noted that Bill's visa had expired, though Karen's was still valid.
The Start of a Harrowing Ordeal
Initially, Karen assumed she would be allowed to return home to the UK. Instead, she and Bill were held in an office from morning until nightfall, then shackled at the wrists, waist, and ankles and transported to the Sweetgrass border patrol station in Montana. They spent three days in a cell without beds, sleeping on mats under foil blankets. Karen was told she was "guilty by association" for helping her husband pack, allegedly violating her tourist visa terms.
Agents pressured them to volunteer for self-removal under Project Homecoming, a scheme offering a government-paid flight home and a cash bonus. Karen agreed, hoping for a quick resolution, but this only marked the beginning of a 42-day detention. She was transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, where she was issued prison-like attire and housed in a women's unit.
Life Inside the Detention Centre
Karen describes the facility as a prison, with locking doors, guards, and cells. For the first month, she slept on the floor due to an inability to climb to a top bunk, suffering from back pain and constipation. The unit had no windows, and constant lighting made it hard to distinguish night from day. She passed time with jigsaw puzzles and books, while other inmates shared traumatic stories of family separations and legal battles.
During her stay, Karen learned from multiple guards that ICE agents receive bonuses for each person they detain. "Individual ICE agents get money per head that they detain – the guards told me that," she says. This aligns with reports of increased ICE funding under the Trump administration, with the agency's budget soaring from $6 billion a decade ago to $85 billion, and new recruits offered signing bonuses up to $50,000.
Wider Implications for Tourism
Karen's case is not isolated. Since Trump's second inauguration in January 2025, ICE has been ordered to increase daily arrests, leading to detentions of international travellers like German tourist Jessica Brösche and British backpacker Rebecca Burke. These incidents have contributed to a decline in US tourism, with visits from the UK down by 15% in 2025, costing the economy an estimated $12.5 billion in lost revenue.
Karen was released unexpectedly on 6 November 2025, after the federal government shutdown ended. She returned home to find her car battery flat, houseplants dead, and luggage confiscated. Despite receiving a $1,000 bonus for self-deportation, Bill never got his payment, and their credit scores were affected by unpaid bills.
A Warning to Future Travellers
Now back in Hertfordshire, Karen reflects on her experience with a renewed appreciation for freedom. "You only really appreciate your freedom when you've had it taken away," she sighs. She urges others to reconsider travel to the US under Trump's administration, especially with the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching. "If it can happen to me, it can happen to anybody," she warns, highlighting the lack of accountability and potential risks for tourists.
Her story underscores the broader tensions in US immigration policy and its impact on innocent travellers. As ICE continues to expand its operations, cases like Karen's serve as a stark reminder of the human cost behind enforcement quotas and financial incentives.
