Edith Hejberg
After five days held in Chicago, Hughes-Brown was transferred to a detention centre in Campbell County, Kentucky, where she remains in custody.
Donna Hughes-Brown, a 59-year-old British woman who has lived in the United States since childhood, now faces deportation. Her legal residency was upended after returning from a trip to Ireland, when she was detained by federal agents at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport on July 29.
A minor conviction from 2015 has reignited her immigration case, years after it was seemingly resolved.
From Green Card Holder to Detainee in a Matter of Hours
After five days held in Chicago, Hughes-Brown was transferred to a detention centre in Campbell County, Kentucky, where she remains in custody.
Despite holding a green card for nearly four decades, her status has been called into question under stricter immigration enforcement. A bond hearing scheduled for mid-August was delayed due to a clerical error, then ultimately denied.
A Husband’s Regret: “I 100% Regret Voting for Trump”
James Brown, her American husband and a former U.S. Navy serviceman, now deeply regrets voting for Donald Trump.
“Trump advertised that he was getting criminal illegal immigrants and deporting them, which I don’t disagree with. But that’s not what he’s doing,” Brown said. He believes his vote helped empower policies now threatening his wife’s life in the U.S.
A Life Built in America, Now at Risk
Hughes-Brown arrived in the U.S. in 1977 at age 11 and has lived as a permanent resident ever since.
She and James have raised four children and have five grandchildren. Her green card has been renewed twice, and her roots in the country are deep. “They’re trying to deport her, and if they do, she’s banned for 10 years,” Brown explained.
The Conviction That Sparked It All
The reason behind Hughes-Brown’s detention traces back to a 2015 misdemeanor, which her husband says was resolved long ago.
However, under current Department of Homeland Security (DHS) guidelines, any lawful permanent resident with a past conviction can be deemed “inadmissible” at a port of entry and placed in mandatory detention.
Community Leader, Not a Threat
Far from being a threat to society, Hughes-Brown is known in her Missouri community for her volunteer work.
She donates food to struggling families, maintains local “blessing boxes” for the homeless, and even skipped her birthday last October to help Hurricane Helene victims. “We give to single mothers, help out military families. We volunteer all the time,” said James.
Military Family Under Fire from the System
James Brown served in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 2005, including during Desert Storm. He helped commission an aircraft carrier in 1998 and worked alongside the Marines at Camp Pendleton.
“This is our payment,” he said bitterly, noting the irony of his family being torn apart despite a long record of service to the country.
Legal Limbo with No End in Sight
Despite no upcoming hearings, Hughes-Brown remains detained with no bond. Her family has launched a GoFundMe page to cover mounting legal costs.
“They’re not just targeting criminals,” said Brown. “There are hundreds, maybe thousands of legal immigrants being arrested and detained for things long behind them.”
DHS: “A Green Card Is a Privilege, Not a Right”
A DHS spokesperson defended the decision, stating: “A green card is a privilege, not a right… our government has the authority to revoke a green card if our laws are broken and abused.”
That stance, however, has alarmed many advocates who see it as part of a broader crackdown on immigrants, legal or otherwise.
The Cost of Silence in the Trump Era
“You look at the news, and they’re not telling the truth about what’s actually happening to a lot of legal immigrants,” said Brown.
He describes a climate of fear and retaliation: “Trump is so demeaning, so retaliatory, that people are afraid to say anything.” For the Hughes-Browns, silence is no longer an option.
