Green Card holder ‘detained, stripped naked, and interrogated’ at US airport: Report

Fabian Schmidt, a US Green Card holder and resident of New Hampshire, was detained upon reentering the United States from Luxembourg last Friday.

His mother, Astrid Senior, told Newsweek that Schmidt was stripped naked, violently interrogated, and later transferred to an ICE detention facility.

Legal status and prior charges

Schmidt, an electrical engineer, has held a green card since 2008. His family reported that his recently renewed green card was flagged upon his return.

While Schmidt has no ongoing legal issues, his family acknowledged that he had:

A misdemeanor charge for marijuana possession, which was dismissed due to law changes.

A DUI charge from over a decade ago.

A missed hearing in 2022, allegedly due to a notification error.

ICE and CBP response

When questioned about the incident, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) referred inquiries to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

CBP Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs Hilton Beckham denied any wrongdoing by CBP, stating: “These claims are blatantly false with respect to CBP.”

Beckham also suggested the incident may be related to prior drug charges, stating: “When an individual is found with drug-related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action.”

Family speaks out

Schmidt’s partner waited hours at Logan Airport, unaware of his detention. His mother later learned that he was hospitalised last week, marking the first direct contact she had with him since his detention.

Senior recounted her son's ordeal, saying: “He hardly got anything to drink. And then he wasn’t feeling very well and he collapsed.”

ICE targets Green Card holders

Schmidt’s detention follows another recent case where Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student, was detained after leading pro-Palestinian protests.

Despite previously focusing on undocumented immigrants, ICE has increasingly detained legal permanent residents.