Astrid Senior, the mother of Fabian Schmidt, a U.S. Green Card holder, said her son was stripped naked, “violently interrogated” and sent to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility upon his return to the country last Friday.
When reached for comment on Saturday morning, ICE told Newsweek: “We must refer you to CBP for this query.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant Commissioner of Public Affairs Hilton Beckham told Newsweek on Saturday: “These claims are blatantly false with respect to CBP.” He went on to suggest the incident may be related to drug charges, saying, “When an individual is found with drug related charges and tries to reenter the country, officers will take proper action.”
Newsweek has attempted to contact Senior via Facebook for comment on Saturday morning.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump campaigned on strongly cracking down on immigration, but the emphasis of his message was generally focused on undocumented individuals with criminal records.
Green card holders are generally viewed to have secure immigration status, assuming they don’t commit a serious crime or fraud. In recent weeks it has become clear that immigrants without serious criminal records, and even green card holders, could be ICE targets.
What To Know
Schmidt, a New Hampshire resident who has had held a green card since 2008 after moving to the U.S. in 2007, was reportedly detained at the Logan Airport in Massachusetts upon returning from Luxembourg last week, according to Boston public radio station WGBH. His family told the public radio station that he had recently renewed his green card and it was flagged as he reentered the country.
“It was just said that his green card was flagged,” Senior told WGBH. She said her son was “violently interrogated,” stripped naked by immigration officials and put into a cold shower.
“He hardly got anything to drink. And then he wasn’t feeling very well and he collapsed,” she said.
WGBH/Alex Wong/Getty Images
Schmidt, who works as an electrical engineer, is reportedly being held at ICE’s Donald W. Wyatt detention facility in Rhode Island. His mother said he was also sent to the hospital last week, which was the first time she heard from him directly on Tuesday.
Schmidt’s partner initially waited hours at the airport, unaware that Schmidt had been detained. Eventually they called authorities and found out what had occurred.
“Fabian said to me that he feels he’s very fearful and is frightened,” Senior said.
Although Schmidt has no ongoing legal issues, according to his family, he previously had a misdemeanor charge for having marijuana in his vehicle. That charge was dismissed after laws about cannabis changed. His mother said he missed a hearing about the case in 2022 because the notice was not forwarded to his correct address. He also had a DUI about a decade ago.
“If statutes or visa terms are violated, travelers may be subject to detention and removal. Due to federal privacy regulations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection cannot disclose details about specific cases,” Beckham told Newsweek.
Meanwhile, ICE detained Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil last week. Khalil was a green card holder who helped lead pro-Palestinian protests at the college amid the Israel-Gaza war.
Authorities contend that Khalil expressed support for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist organization. Khalil remains in ICE detention, but his case is currently playing out in court, and it’s unclear whether the government will be able to officially revoke his green card.
What People Are Saying
Tom Homan, Trump’s White House executive associate director of enforcement and removal operations, said at a press conference in Albany, New York, on Wednesday: “I work for a president who wants to save lives…and make this country safe again. You want to hate on me? Hate on me, because I eat it up.”
New York immigration attorney David Bredin told Newsweek last week: “With a green card, certain criminal or terrorism related offensives, and or fraud in your applications can jeopardize a person’s status.”
What Happens Next?
Schmidt’s family is in touch with the German consulate in a bid to get him released on bail.
Update, 3/15/25 at 12:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from CBP.
Update, 3/16/25 at 8:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional comment from CBP.
