Donna Hughes-Brown and her husband Jim Brown.GoFundMe
Donna Hughes-Brown, the Irish citizen and US green card holder, has been released from ICE custody following an immigration hearing in Memphis, Tennessee, on Thursday, December 18.
The Southern Missouri Immigration Alliance (SMIA), which was one of several organizations that had been advocating for Hughes-Brown's release, confirmed with IrishCentral on Friday that the 58-year-old was released shortly after her hearing on Thursday and has been reunited with her family.
The Irish Times reported that for the immigration hearing on Thursday, Hughes-Brown's legal team had about 40 character witnesses ready to testify and a letter signed by 18 US Senators stating she should not be detained.
However, immigration judge Kelly Johnson ruled shortly after hearing the first character witness that Hughes-Brown should be released.
A spokesperson for SMIA told IrishCentral on Friday: "This quick release was a bit unexpected, but thanks to collaboration of so many organizations across state lines, Donna was able to be picked up as she waited for her husband’s arrival.
"She has now been reunited with her family."
The spokesperson added that Hughes-Brown and her husband "have vowed to continue fighting for justice for those impacted by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]."
Born in England to Irish parents, Donna Hughes-Brown has lived in the US since she was 11 years old. She has never lived in Ireland; her husband Jim Brown previously testified that his wife "has always been a legal permanent resident green card holder living here [in the US] lawfully for 48 years."
In July, she was arrested at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport when she and her husband were returning from a visit to Ireland.
About ten years ago, Hughes-Brown, who was facing hard financial times as a single mother, wrote two bad checks totaling less than $80 while grocery shopping. She was charged with a misdemeanor, paid the restitution, and completed one year of probation.
Hughes-Brown is understood to have been detained in July under the Immigration and Nationality Act, which was amended by President Trump on July 4 as part of his so-called 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act.'
The Irish Times previously reported that the changes stipulate that any foreign-born resident of the US who has violated any law whatsoever at any stage over the previous two decades can be deemed inadmissible or barred from entry to the US.
It came into effect on July 24, when the couple was already in Ireland. Hughes-Brown had been in the Campbell County Detention Center in Kentucky since July.
Jim, a decorated retired Navy combat veteran, had been campaigning for his wife's release. He testified during a November 19 hearing hosted by the House Committee on Homeland Security Democrats, and was present for another hearing on December 11, where Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem ultimately said she would review the case.
Jim has admitted that he voted for Trump because he's "an idiot."
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe to "Support Jim and Donna's Fight for Justice and Freedom" has raised more than $14k since being launched in August.