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US Army veteran free after being in ICE detention for 9 months
A 44-year-old U.S. Army veteran was set free on Tuesday after he was held in the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma for 9 months.
TACOMA, Wash. - A U.S. District Court judge has ordered the release of a 44-year-old U.S. Army veteran held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma for 9 months, according to court documents and community supporters.
What we know:
Garnet Smith, a Jamaican-born lawful permanent resident, was detained by federal immigration authorities in October during a targeted Enforcement and Removal Operations action in Spokane, Washington. Supporters present at the detention center Tuesday told FOX 13 that more than a dozen ICE agents took Smith into custody while he was working at a car dealership.
Smith entered the U.S. in 1998 on a child-of-a-U.S.-citizen visa and became a lawful permanent resident in 1999. He later served in the U.S. Army and received an honorable discharge. According to his court filing challenging his detention, Smith's criminal record includes several arrests and convictions, including domestic violence, which marked him as a noncitizen subject to removal.
Allegations of abuse and facility conditions
While held at the Tacoma facility, Smith reported being sexually assaulted by a guard during a pat-down and subsequently subjected to an invasive strip search.
Community organizations have highlighted poor conditions at the Northwest ICE Processing Center for decades. Advocates gathered outside the center to support Smith and celebrate the judge's release order.
What they're saying:
"I've talked to him just recently this morning, he's so excited to be being released. He can't believe that this is finally happening," said Aran Myracle, an organizer with South Sound About Face: Veterans Against the War. "It's unconscionable that veterans who served their country are being detained and deported. Nobody that has raised their right hand and taken an oath to defend this country should be forced to leave it."
Rejoining family in Spokane
What's next:
Following his official release from the facility, supporters said they plan to drive Smith back to Spokane to rejoin his fiancée and children.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding Smith's case or the allegations.
The Source: Information in this story came from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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