U.K. Grandmother on Vacation with Valid Visa Allegedly Detained by ICE for 6 Weeks: ‘I’m Not a Dangerous Criminal’

A 65-year-old British grandmother says she and her husband were detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a road trip across the United States, describing an experience that lasted more than six weeks.

Karen Newton and her husband Bill Newton, 66, traveled to the U.S. in July for what she described as a holiday tour through several states, including California and Wyoming. Speaking to The Guardian in an interview published Feb. 21, Karen said the couple’s trip took a dramatic turn in late September while attempting to cross into Canada from Montana.

According to Karen, Canadian border officials denied their entry due to incorrect paperwork related to the vehicle they were using. While Karen said she held a valid visa and had no criminal record, Bill’s U.S. visa had expired.

Despite offering to pay for flights back to the United Kingdom, the couple was taken to an office and held for questioning, Karen said.

“There was no reason to hold me,” she told the outlet. “Bill’s an adult. Why am I held responsible for him?”

Karen described the situation as frightening, recalling the arrival of agents with restraints.

“It was scary. You have no way of knowing what’s going to happen,” she said.

The couple was transported in shackles to a border patrol station, where Karen said they were held for three days. She described sleeping on floor mats and undergoing separate interviews.

“I was very nervous and frightened the whole time,” she said.

Karen told The Guardian she initially believed authorities would release her after reviewing her case. Instead, she said she was informed that she had violated the terms of her tourist visa and was considered “guilty by association.”

“It felt like they just wanted an excuse to detain me,” she said.

Karen claimed the couple was presented with the option of returning to the U.K. through a voluntary departure program. She said officials warned they could face a ban from reentering the United States but were told the process would conclude quickly.

The Newtons agreed and were transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.

“It’s called a detention facility, but it’s really a prison,” Karen said.

She described being separated from her husband and assigned to a cell where she slept on the floor after saying she was unable to climb to an upper bunk.

“That’s where I stayed for the next month,” she said.

Karen said she eventually lost track of time during her detention. After weeks without clarity about their status, she was reunited with her husband and contacted their son, Scott.

According to Karen, British officials informed the family that they could not intervene directly in the case.

Without prior notice, Karen said, guards informed the couple on Nov. 6 that they would be released. They later returned to their home in Hertfordshire, England.

Karen said the ordeal left lasting impacts, including unpaid bills, a dead car battery, and luggage that was never returned.

Reflecting on the experience, she said it gave her a renewed appreciation for personal freedom.

“You only really appreciate your freedom when you’ve had it taken away,” she said.

Karen also pushed back against assumptions about immigration enforcement.

“I am not a dangerous criminal,” she told The Guardian. “I didn’t enter the country illegally and I had everything I needed to be there.”