James 'Jim' Brown, the husband of Donna Hughes-Brown, an Irish citizen and US green card holder who was detained by ICE in July, delivered emotional testimony during a hearing on immigration, hosted by the House Committee on Homeland Security Democrats in Washington, DC, this week.
Jim was one of six witnesses who testified during Wednesday's hearing entitled "Unmasking the Truth: How Trump's Immigration Raids Target U.S. Citizens and Terrorize Communities," which was led by Missouri Representative Bennie G. Thompson.
In his testimony where he pleaded for support in securing his wife's release, Jim explained that Donna was born in England to Irish parents in 1966. In 1977, Donna and her family moved from England to the US.
Donna has never lived in Ireland, Jim said, adding that his wife "has always been a legal permanent resident green card holder living here [in the US] lawfully for 48 years."
Jim, a decorated retired Navy combat veteran, explained how in 2012 and 2015, Donna "fell on hard times financially."
"She was a struggling single mother and wrote two bad checks - one in each year - in a local grocery store, which were the same store three years apart," he said.
"They were less than $60, totally combined.
"She was charged with a misdemeanor, and paid the restitution, and completed one year of probation.
"That was ten years ago."
Jim noted how Donna visited England in 2016 - after the misdemeanors - "and was cleared to re-enter America with no issues."
"Blindsided"
In July, the couple was "blindsided" when Donna was detained and arrested at Chicago's O'Hare Airport when they were returning from Ireland, where they had attended a funeral for Donna's aunt.
"She was completely cleared in US Customs [in Dublin] and Chicago arrested her anyway," Jim said, "which makes that flight a domestic flight and not an international flight."
Jim said he was told that Donna had to sign some paperwork and that she would be on the next flight home to St. Louis.
Jim said he "patiently waited" for his wife to call him to pick her up from the flight, but instead, she was detained by ICE and transported to Campbell County Detention Center in Kentucky.
"Since being detained there, she has been degraded and subjected to absolutely awful conditions," Jim said.
Donna is understood to have been detained 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.'
According to the Irish Times, 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 Browns were already in Ireland.
"Unimaginable" stress
In his testimony, Jim went on to claim that the US Department of Homeland Security "illegally changed [Donna's] status from legal permanent resident to arriving alien upon arriving in Chicago, and cannot tell us why.
"The Attorney General is the only one allowed to do that, and DHS decided [to do that] upon themselves.
"According to USCIS, who issues the green cards, Donna is still a legal permanent resident, lawfully allowed to live in America freely.
"DHS is also claiming that Donna was a flight risk for fleeing the country when she's literally left the country twice in the last 20 years to visit family.
"Her family means everything to her, and this is where her kids and grandkids are, and myself.
"The stress this situation has caused our family, thinking about her possibly being deported, is unimaginable.
"Donna may not be perfect, but she is still an amazing, godly woman."
"Does she sound like a hardened criminal?"
In his testimony, Jim said his wife "has always been gainfully employed and currently works as a home healthcare worker."
He noted: "She's even cared for a Korean War POW veteran who had no family and therefore she became his family. She even still cares for his dog - we adopted his dog when he passed away, and President Trump actually gave her a letter thanking her for taking care of this POW vet."
Donna is also a volunteer in her community, Jim said, and is a "proud military Blue Star mom." Her son, a US Marine, is currently serving in Okinawa.
Jim - who admitted to Newsweek in August that he now regrets voting for Trump - continued: "So I ask you this question honestly: Does she sound like a hardened criminal that this administration and DHS and ICE claim that they're removing from our streets, all while allowing this administration to pardon people in million-dollar fraud cases?
"My wife's got a $60 deal, and we're pardoning people for millions of dollars, it's just insane.
"I have a direct quote from ICE stating, 'Under the leadership of President Trump and Kristi Noem, ICE is prioritizing the removal of criminal alien offenders who pose a threat to public safety and rule of law. Individuals who are in the United States lawfully, who have not violated immigration laws or committed crimes, have no reason to fear enforcement actions.'
"That's a lie."
Brown appealed to the Committee to help his wife "achieve her freedom and put this nightmare behind her."
Donna is set to have a hearing on December 18. A GoFundMe for the couple has raised more than $13k.
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