Co Antrim native Lee Stinton was picked up by US Immigration and Customs (ICE) officials in Key West, Florida in June.Getty Images
Lee Stinton is attempting to restart his life in his native Northern Ireland after being arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Florida in June and deported back to the UK.
Stinton, who arrived in the US in 2018, said he was arrested in June by an ICE officer and "kind of kidnapped, I guess, off the street" when he was cycling to work in Key West, Florida.
"They were trying to say I ran a stop sign," Stinton told The Belfast Telegraph from his parents' home in Lisburn, Co Antrim.
"I was on a bike — there was no stop sign. I had stopped to let a car go by me. But they needed some form of probable cause."
He further said an ICE officer told him, "You look Mexican," to which Stinton replied, "I am not. I am from Northern Ireland."
He continued: “The man who was arresting me looked at my phone. My screensaver is a picture of my partner and me. He said: ‘He looks Haitian. This might be a two-for-one deal today.’"
"We don't understand"
According to the Florida publication Keys Weekly, Stinton arrived in the US seven years ago under a work / travel visa. At the time, he was married to an American citizen and had begun the green card process available to those with American spouses.
However, when Stinton's marriage to his American spouse dissolved due to domestic violence, the Northern Ireland man applied for and received protection under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which can expedite immigration proceedings.
While he had VAWA protection, Stinton's visa expired.
Stinton's current partner DeVaun 'DJ' Davis - an American who Stinton was due to marry over in August - told Keys Weekly in June: “Lee was going through all the right processes and filing all the documentation.
“He had a VAWA protection and an employment authorization card. I had just taken him to Miami for an immigration hearing in the past few months. Things were proceeding.”
Davis acknowledged that Stinton had overstayed his visa seven years ago, but said: "We don’t understand, because in the past seven years, the federal government hasn’t once used that against him, and instead has allowed him to proceed along the way to getting a green card.
"He doesn’t have so much as a parking ticket. He has all his 1099s. He’s been paying taxes and has no arrests."
"Most inhumane thing"
When Stinton didn't have his immigration paperwork on him, the 45-year-old was driven four hours away to Krome Detention Center in Miami, Florida - a place he described as "the most inhumane thing that I've ever experienced in my life."
Speaking to The Belfast Telegraph, Stinton recalled: "They had nowhere for anyone to sleep, they weren't feeding people, and they were very abusive to the inmates.
"The holding cell they had us in for almost eight days was meant to have 10 people in it, and there was at least 100 men. We were like sardines, all just stuck on a cold, concrete floor."
Stinton says that ICE never contacted the British Consulate while he was being held at Krome. He also said how he was driven to a hospital to have his subdermal piercings surgically removed without his consent.
After about a month in detention, Stinton was deported back to London and arrived home in Northern Ireland on July 12.
Stinton told The Belfast Telegraph: "I want people to know that it's not just criminals being taken. It's like normal, everyday people. Like myself - I have a correct visa. I had all my paperwork together. I have a social security number. I pay my taxes. I've never been in trouble with the police before in my life, either in America or in Northern Ireland, and still they took me.
"I think they're just looking for numbers at this point."
Community rallies for Lee Stinton
While he was in Krome, local community members in Key West launched an online petition calling for his release from ICE detention.
"The detention of Edward Lee Martin Stinton has caused significant hardship to his family, friends, and our community," the petition stated.
"As residents of Key West, we rely on each other for support, and the absence of Lee has left a noticeable gap in our daily lives. Lee poses no danger to our community and has no criminal history.
"He is well-rooted in Key West, with strong family and community ties that ensure his continued presence and cooperation with any legal requirements."
The online petition ultimately drew more than 1,500 signatures.
Elsewhere, Sitnton's mother Elaine launched a GoFundMe to assist with her son's legal fees, as well as his attempt to "start over" and have his dog Ernie brought to Northern Ireland.
As of Friday, the fundraiser had received nearly £7,900.
"Unjust and cruel"
On social media last week, Stinton said: "I went through one of the most unjust and cruel experiences under President Trump’s regime, and it has changed me forever."
He added, "because of the trauma I’ve endured, my healing journey will take years of therapy and self-work."
Stinton said that it is hope that his story will "serve as a light for anyone experiencing similar and walking through their own darkness. Please know you are believed and you are not alone."