UK Grandmother's US Detention Raises Alarms for International Travelers
A British grandmother's dream holiday to the United States ended in shackles, detention and deportation; and her warning to fellow travellers is now reverberating far beyond immigration courts.Karen Newton, 65, travelled to North America expecting a routine tourist visit. Instead, she spent six weeks inside a United States immigration detention facility despite holding a valid visa, a case that has intensified scrutiny of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) practices and raised fresh concerns about risks facing international visitors.Her experience, documented through interviews and official immigration procedures, highlights how administrative decisions at the border can rapidly escalate into prolonged detention.Detention at the Border Despite Valid VisaNewton and her husband Bill were stopped in September 2025 while attempting to cross from the United States into Canada. According to her account given in an extended interview with The Guardian, US border authorities refused entry into Canada due to documentation issues connected to the couple's vehicle and her husband's expired visa. When Canadian officials returned them to US custody, ICE officers detained both individuals.
Although Newton's tourist visa remained valid and she had no criminal history, officers accused her of violating visa conditions by assisting her husband's travel arrangements. She was transported in restraints, wrists, waist and ankles shackled, before being transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.Under US immigration law, border agents possess wide discretionary authority to detain non-citizens pending removal proceedings. Unlike criminal detention, immigration custody operates under civil administrative rules, meaning detainees may be held without traditional criminal charges while their status is reviewed.Newton later said she believed the situation would be resolved within days. Instead, weeks passed without clarity regarding release or deportation.Conditions Inside ICE CustodyDuring her six-week detention, Newton described conditions consistent with those reported in congressional inquiries and oversight investigations into immigration facilities. She said uncertainty proved as distressing as confinement itself, with detainees frequently told their cases would be resolved 'soon' without firm timelines.She reported sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor after being unable to access an upper bunk and avoiding communal toilets because of limited privacy.The Tacoma facility where Newton was held forms part of a broader network of privately operated or federally contracted detention centres. Advocacy groups and former officials have warned that extended detention periods can occur because immigration proceedings lack strict statutory deadlines. Separate reporting on ICE holding practices has shown detainees sometimes remain in custody longer than originally intended, raising concerns about oversight and due process protections.
Shows a group of ICE officers
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Newton also alleged that guards told detainees ICE agents received financial incentives tied to detention numbers. No publicly released Department of Homeland Security policy confirms such bonuses, and ICE has historically stated that enforcement decisions are governed by federal law and agency priorities rather than quotas. Still, the claim has circulated widely among detainees and immigration advocates.Limited Consular Support and Legal OptionsA central frustration in Newton's account involved her attempts to obtain assistance from British consular officials. She said she struggled to reach meaningful support and was told diplomatic staff could not intervene directly in immigration proceedings.Consular assistance rules generally limit foreign governments to welfare checks and legal referrals rather than influencing enforcement outcomes. Immigration detention decisions remain solely within US federal jurisdiction.Eventually, Newton signed a 'voluntary self-removal' agreement — effectively waiving her right to contest detention in exchange for deportation. Even after agreeing to leave, she remained in custody for additional weeks before being returned to the United Kingdom.Newton's case does not stand alone. Over the past two years, several European travellers have reported detention after attempting to leave the United States or re-enter via land borders, including British backpackers and other foreign visitors transferred to ICE custody following visa disputes.Immigration enforcement at land crossings differs from airport processing, where travellers denied entry are frequently placed on return flights. At land borders, travellers may instead be classified as immigration violators and handed to ICE, triggering detention procedures.The incidents arrive amid broader debate over stricter immigration enforcement policies and their economic effects. Tourism analysts have warned that high-profile detention stories risk discouraging international visitors at a time when the US travel industry is seeking post-pandemic recovery.Following her release, Newton delivered a blunt assessment of her experience, urging potential tourists to reconsider travel plans. Her warning — 'Don't go' — has circulated widely online and among travel forums, reflecting a growing perception among some foreign nationals that routine travel disputes can escalate unpredictably.
