The fiancée of a Jamaican-born US Army veteran facing deportation has called for legislative action to protect non-citizen military members. April Watkins, engaged to Godfrey Wade, said his case highlights the plight of veterans caught up in immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump.
Wade, 65, came to the US from Jamaica at age 15 and served in the Army, earning commendations for wartime service and good conduct. He was arrested in September for driving without a license and subsequently taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). He remains detained at the Stewart detention center in Lumpkin, Georgia.
The Biden administration had issued an ICE directive protecting non-citizen veterans, but this was rescinded after Trump took office in January. Wade's family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to support their legal fight against deportation.
Members of Congress have launched an investigation into the detention and deportation of non-citizen veterans, with a June letter estimating that 10,000 or more veterans have been deported. The Department of Veterans Affairs is also compiling data on non-citizen employees, which could be shared with ICE.
