A 65-year-old British woman has spoken out after spending six weeks in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite holding a valid tourist visa, raising fresh concerns about immigration enforcement practices under the current US administration.
The retiree, identified as Karen Newton, and her husband Bill, 67, were on an extended tour of the US in late 2025 when their trip took a dramatic turn. The couple had planned to drive across several states before heading into Canada. However, when they attempted to cross into Canada, authorities there informed them they lacked the correct paperwork for their vehicle and directed them back to US border officials in Montana, The Guardian reported.
While Karen held a valid US tourist visa, her husband’s visa had expired. Despite this distinction, both were taken into custody by US immigration agents. Karen was handcuffed, shackled and transported to the Northwest ICE Processing Centre in Tacoma, a facility she described as resembling a prison more than a detention centre.
‘Slept on a thin mattress’
During her six-week detention, Karen slept on a thin mattress on the floor and endured significant discomfort. She told reporters she had no criminal record and had complied with all visa requirements, questioning why she was held at all. “I didn’t enter the country illegally and I had everything I needed to be there,” she said.
‘ICE agents get bonuses’
Karen also recounted conversations with various guards who told her that ICE officers receive monetary bonuses for each individual they detain, suggesting that such incentives might encourage prolonged detention even in cases involving lawful visitors. “Individual ICE agents get money per head that they detain, the guards told me that,” she said.
Despite eventually agreeing to “self-removal”, a process by which detainees agree to leave the country voluntarily, and being released in November, Karen and her husband were detained far beyond any reasonable timeline.
American authorities, including ICE, had previously denied detention quotas or bonus schemes, stating that all personnel pay and practices align with federal policy.