A Massachusetts mother who has lived legally in the U.S. for over two decades was detained at Boston’s Logan International Airport earlier this month and remains in custody after federal agents cited a decades-old marijuana conviction.
Jemmy Lindsay Jimenez Rosa, 42, of Canton, Massachusetts, was returning from a family vacation in Mexico with her husband and three young daughters on August 11 when Customs and Border Protection officers pulled her aside and took her to a private room. Rosa, traveling with a valid U.S. green card renewed just last month, had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor marijuana possession at age 20 and served probation.
Boston immigration attorney Todd Pomerleau told Newsweek that Rosa, originally from Peru, has lived in the U.S. since she was 9 and worked as an administrative assistant at the School of Dental Medicine at Boston University.
Pomerleau said U.S. officials have not provided a clear explanation for her detention, though he believes the old marijuana charge is likely the reason.
“It’s outrageous … beyond the pale. These are people that have been in the system their whole lives, who have great jobs and pay taxes,” Pomerleau said.
Newsweek has reached out to Customs and Border Protection for comment.
Why It Matters
The detention comes amid President Donald Trump’s administration’s crackdown on immigrants, with some long-term residents facing renewed scrutiny and detention despite complying with routine immigration processes. Many with past convictions, even decades old, have found themselves in ICE custody despite years of law-abiding residency.
The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) says that green card holders have the right to live permanently in the U.S., provided they do not commit actions that “would make you removable under immigration law,” including committing crimes or failing to file taxes.
What to Know
A U.S. citizen, Marcel Rosa, Jemmy Rosa’s husband, told Boston 25’s Kerry Kavanaugh that he handed over all passports and his wife’s green card before officers took her for questioning.
Her attorney said Rosa was held at Logan airport for four days without access to her medication, a phone call, or a shower. Her husband added that she suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes, and anxiety.
Pomerleau said Rosa had to be admitted to the hospital twice during her detention at Logan.
Last week, Pomerleau successfully challenged her marijuana conviction in Massachusetts district court in Roxbury, arguing she had not received proper legal counsel when entering her plea 22 years ago. A judge and prosecutor agreed, dismissing the case and clearing her record.
“The judge and prosecutor were shocked at the way she had been treated,” Pomerleau said.
Jemmy, a mother of four, remains in ICE custody, now transferred to a detention facility in Maine where she can speak with her family and lawyer. On August 12, Pomerleau also filed a lawsuit against the federal government alleging a lack of due process for his client.
What People Are Saying
Pomerleau said Rosa was able to join a live video call Tuesday to sing “Happy Birthday” to one of her daughters, who turned six: “It was nice, but it was also very sad. My staff was all crying.”
Marcel Rosa told Boston 25 News, “I walked in, and my wife’s head was just down, and you could tell her whole spirit was just crushed.” He added that with little explanation, he feared the worst: “I just told my kids, I was like, hey girls… this might be the last time you see your mother.”
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, previously told Newsweek: “Under Secretary Noem, we are delivering on President Trump’s and the American people’s mandate to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens to make America safe. Secretary Noem unleashed ICE to target the worst of the worst and carry out the largest deportation operation of criminal aliens in American history.”
What Happens Next
A bond hearing for Jemmy Rosa is scheduled for August 28.
